General santos city: Speaker Faustino 'Bojie' Dy III on Thursday led a House of Representatives delegation to General Santos City and Sarangani Province to assess the impact of the recent earthquake, meet with local officials and regional agency heads, and identify immediate and long-term measures to assist affected communities. During the visit, Dy announced that the House would shoulder the medical expenses of all individuals injured in the earthquake, whether they are receiving treatment in government or private hospitals. The Speaker also assured affected families that additional assistance would be mobilized to help communities recover from the disaster.

According to Philippines News Agency, Dy expressed his condolences and commitment to ensuring that all earthquake victims will incur no medical expenses in hospitals. He emphasized the importance of allocating additional funds to provide certainty and ensure that the affected communities can overcome the challenges brought by the disaster. Upon his arrival in General Santos City, the Speaker inspected the General Santos International Airport to assess its condition and operational readiness following the earthquake.

He later met with local government officials and regional agency heads to discuss the current situation and ongoing response efforts. He then proceeded to Alabel, Sarangani, where he visited the Emergency Response Center near the Provincial Capitol and received a briefing on the crisis and emergency response efforts in the province.

Dy stated that members of the House delegation were conducting an on-site assessment of damaged infrastructure and public facilities to determine reconstruction requirements and ensure that funding needs would be reflected in the proposed 2027 national budget. He emphasized the importance of working closely with local legislators and officials to identify priority needs and ensure that assistance reaches affected communities.

He noted that listening to the needs of the affected individuals and continuing coordination with local officials would be essential to address their needs fully. The findings from the inspection are expected to help Congress identify priority funding requirements for reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts across affected communities, including hospitals, roads, bridges, and other key facilities.