Negros Occidental readies Mindanao quake aid

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — The Negros Occidental provincial government has signified its intention to extend financial assistance to areas hit by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao on Monday, June 8.

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said in a media interview Wednesday that the province wants to gather more information on the extent of the damage and the number of people affected by the calamity.

Lacson said the provincial government has yet to decide how much assistance it will release.

“This morning I asked which provinces should we give our financial assistance. I’m expecting this week, we can decide how much we can give,” he added.

Lacson said he also asked the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office whether the Office of Civil Defense had requested rescue augmentation from Negros Occidental.

He said the province is waiting for a request from the OCD in case additional personnel are needed for search and rescue operations in Mindanao.

The governor stressed the importance of proper coordination if rescue augmentation becomes necessary.

The June 8 earthquake, which rocked Maasim, Sarangani, and nearby provinces, had left more than 30 people dead as of June 9.

The quake struck off southern Mindanao and caused deaths, injuries, displacement, infrastructure damage, and continuing aftershocks, according to disaster and news reports.

Last year, the provincial government also extended PHP 2 million in financial assistance to Bogo City, Cebu, after it suffered devastation from the magnitude 6.9 earthquake on Sept. 30.

Aside from monetary aid, several local government units in Negros Occidental also mobilized rescue and relief teams to assist communities in northern Cebu following the tremor.