THE relief goods worth P10 million that the Cebu City Government donated to earthquake survivors in Mindanao is already enough and there is no need to send additional assistance, Mayor Edgardo Labella said.
A total of 1,321 families or 4,683 individuals benefited from the City Government’s relief operations in communities affected by the quake.
Labella and other city officials visited Magsaysay town in Davao del Sur and the towns of Makilala and Tulunan in North Cotabato on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019, to distribute the relief goods.
The three towns were severely affected by the series of earthquake, the last of which occurred on Oct. 31. A total of 23 people have died.
Before deciding what aid to give the survivors, Labella sent a team headed by City Administrator Floro Casas Jr. and City Councilor Dave Tumulak to assess the situation in the affected communities.
The team reported that the residents need water since the source of water in the area had been contaminated due to the ground shaking.
Labella said they distributed 3,000 gallons of water, mosquito nets, medicines, cooking utensils, hygiene kits and toiletries, and tarpaulin that can be used for makeshift tents, among others.
They also brought one of the City’s ambulances.
Labella said there is no need to distribute sacks of rice since the areas affected have a lot of rice fields. The residents need only water for them to be able to cook their food.
He said he was pleased with the beneficiaries because they were “very appreciative.”
“The relief operations were successful. They said that it was Cebu City that was able to provide them their necessity,” said Labella.
The use of P10 million from the City’s coffers for the purchase of relief goods was approved by the City Council during its regular session on Nov. 5.
Since Oct. 16, a series of earthquakes and aftershocks have jolted Tulunan, Cotabato.
The first and second tremors, with a magnitude of 6.3 and 6.6, occurred southeast of Tulunan. The third, a magnitude 6.5 quake, struck northeast of Tulunan on Oct. 31.
All three quakes were inland and tectonic in origin. JJL