Cebu: On behalf of the Cebuanos and local government executives of the Northern part of the province, Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro on Tuesday expressed her gratitude to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and to Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian for the government's speedy delivery of relief assistance to families hardest hit by the Sept. 30 earthquake. 'First and foremost, I would like to thank President Marcos Jr. for the tremendous help that he's been extending to us and also to our national agencies. From the very start, right after the earthquake tinawagan ko agad ang (I immediately called the) Office of the President, national agencies, especially Sec. Gatchalian. They were there for us from day one until now. We are so thankful for all the help to the Cebuanos, of course, to the LGUs, and to the people of Northern Cebu,' Baricuatro said during the coordination meeting among LGUs presided by Gatchalian.
According to Philippines News Agency, Baricuatro hailed the President for his commitment to help and the DSWD's immediate and continuous relief distribution for the 12 local government units (LGUs) in Northern Cebu after the devastation brought about by the 6.9 magnitude earthquake. The LGUs include Bogo City and the municipalities of Daanbantayan, Medellin, San Remigio, Tabogon, Tabuelan, Borbon, Sogod, Catmon, Madridejos, Sta. Fe, and Bantayan. Baricuatro stressed that all commitments of the national government were fulfilled, especially in ensuring unlimited food supplies to the affected families.
'I would also like to tell the people of Cebu that the promises of the President when he was here, and the national agencies, were all fulfilled. First, the tent city was promised to us, the repair of the electricity within five days, were all done. And the food packs, we are unlimited here in Cebu. Thanks a lot, Sec. (Gatchalian),' the Cebu Governor said. During the meeting held in Bogo City, Gatchalian told the mayors as well as the two congressmen also present that the DSWD has already completed the first wave of the relief distribution for the 12 LGUs.
As of Oct. 6, the DSWD's Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Mandaue City has dispatched more than 225,000 family food packs (FFPs), completing the first wave of relief distribution and making it the biggest and fastest distribution of relief aid ever made by the agency. With these accomplishments, the meeting with LGUs was organized to discuss the second wave of relief assistance as well as the ways forward for the early recovery phase of quake-hit Cebuanos.
The second wave of relief distribution will ensure that food supplies continue to reach all quake-affected residents. Mobile kitchens will also remain indefinitely to provide hot meals to the IDPs staying in the tent city in Bogo City. Gatchalian also said that the DSWD is looking at the implementation of the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) program, in collaboration with the LGUs, once all preparations are done.
Meanwhile, Baricuatro said the provincial government will be providing financial assistance amounting to PHP3 million to the 11 affected towns and PHP5 million to Bogo City within the week.
