President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the immediate rollout of relief and rehabilitation efforts in Cebu after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the province Tuesday night, leaving at least 20 dead, dozens injured, and heritage churches and other structures damaged.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman urged agencies to activate their Quick Response Funds (QRF) to speed up assistance.
“Our prayers go to the families who lost their loved ones and to all who are enduring this tragedy. In moments like this, government aid must never be delayed,” Pangandaman said Wednesday.
She noted that agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) have QRFs that can be tapped immediately. Other agencies with QRFs include the Department of Health, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Education, Philippine Coast Guard, National Irrigation Administration, and Department of Agriculture.
The QRF serves as an emergency fund for urgent relief and recovery efforts. Once depleted by 50 percent, agencies may request replenishment from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Pangandaman said the PHP8-billion National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Fund is also on standby to support larger-scale needs, including repairs of public facilities and heritage sites.
She also directed DBM regional offices in Central and Eastern Visayas to check the safety of their personnel, inspect buildings, and coordinate with OCD counterparts on possible assistance.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) initially measured the quake at magnitude 6.7 before upgrading it to 6.9. The United States Geological Survey also recorded it at magnitude 7.0 before revising it to 6.9. The tremor struck at 9:59 p.m. with its epicenter located 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, Cebu.
