PBBM gives cash aid for GenSan city hall repair, quake fatalities’ kin

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

QUAKE RESPONSE. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. inspects earthquake-damaged structures, including the St. Elizabeth Hospital, during his visit to General Santos City on Wednesday (June 10, 2026). He also oversaw relief operations and assured continued government assistance for affected residents. (Presidential Communications Office/facebook)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday announced financial assistance for earthquake-hit General Santos City, including PHP1 million for the repair of the city hall and PHP50,000 each for the families of those who died in the magnitude 7.8 tremor.

Following his inspection of affected areas in General Santos City, Marcos said the Office of the General Santos City Mayor received the funding from the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) to help restore the damaged city hall.

“Si mayor, nabigyan ko ng PHP1 milyon from the LGSF para maayos ang kanilang city hall, ‘yung sa General Santos City Hall (I gave mayor around PHP1 million from the LGSF to help fix their city hall, the General Santos City Hall),” the President said.

He said the Department of Budget and Management would also provide funds through the LGSF for infrastructure repairs in Sarangani and South Cotabato.

He also assured assistance to families who lost loved ones in the earthquake.

“Lahat ng pamilya na meron silang casualty na biktima, nasawi ay magbibigay tayo ng PHP50,000 para sa kanila — tulong doon sa kanilang naging malapit sa kanila na namatay (For all families who have casualties—victims who died—we will give them PHP50,000 as assistance for their loved ones who passed away),” he said.

Marcos visited several sites in General Santos City, including schools, a hospital, and a distribution center for government assistance, to assess the extent of the damage and oversee relief efforts.

He said engineers are inspecting damaged structures to determine whether they remain safe for use or require major repairs or demolition.

“Sa ngayon, merong mga obvious na makita na mga sira pero kailangan pa rin nating tiyakin na safe kaya’t yung mga engineer ay papasok na para i-assess kung ano ba ‘yung parte ng building na pwede pang gamitin, ano ‘yung hindi na talaga pwede [o] kailangan pabagsakin ang buong building (There are obvious signs of damage at present, but we still need to ensure safety. So engineers will go in to assess which parts of the building can still be used, which parts are no longer safe, or whether the entire building needs to be demolished),” Marcos said.

He assured affected residents of the government’s continued relief and response efforts to speed up the recovery of quake-hit communities.

Marcos said the government is exerting all efforts to restore power and water in quake-hit areas.

“Ang report sa akin sa (The report to me is that) power supply, we’re up to 85 percent back to full performance,” Marcos said, noting that only two power plants remain non-operational because damaged roads have hampered repair work.

At least 37 people were reported to have died due to the strong earthquake that rocked Maasim, Sarangani, and nearby provinces on June 8, according to the data from the Office of Civil Defense.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that a total of 33,596 families or 149,372 persons in 184 villages in Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao were affected.

The earthquake damaged 2,994 houses, including 2,499 that sustained partial damage and 495 that were totally destroyed.

P15-B rebuilding roadmap

Meanwhile, Senator Francis Pangilinan is pushing a PHP15-billion rebuilding roadmap to help Mindanao recover from the quake, proposing a supplemental fund for relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and livelihood recovery.

“Ang prayoridad natin sa gitna ng sakunang ito ay ang kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan sa Mindanao—na sila ay maging ligtas, magkaroon ng sapat na tulong mula sa gobyerno, at nawa’y makabalik muli sa kanilang normal na buhay at hanapbuhay sa pinaka-madaling panahon (Our priority amid this disaster is the welfare of our fellow Filipinos in Mindanao—that they remain safe, receive sufficient government assistance, and return to their normal lives and livelihood at the soonest possible time),” Pangilinan said.

Under Senate Bill No. 2249, the proposed fund would support the repair of homes, schools, hospitals, roads, irrigation and power facilities, while requiring quarterly reports from recipient agencies and local governments to ensure accountability; government reports cited by the senator showed the quake left at least 37 dead, 479 injured, four missing, and more than PHP1 billion in damage.

This article is republished from PNA.