President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is on Ground Zero once again.
After visiting calamity victims in Masbate and Cebu, the Chief Executive flew to Davao Oriental on Monday to personally extend assistance and oversee relief efforts in the areas severely affected by the magnitude 7.4 and 6.8 twin earthquakes off the town of Manay on Friday, October 10.
President Marcos visited the field hospital that was set up outside the Davao Oriental Provincial Hospital (DOPH)- Manay District in Barangay Central in Manay municipality, which is near the epicenter of the 7.4 magnitude and 6.9 magnitude earthquakes.
The only hospital in Manay, the one-storey DOPH was completely damaged by the earthquakes.
President Marcos also inspected the Manay National High School, a public secondary school located in Barangay San Ignacio, Manay.
With 1,321 students in Grades 7 to 12 and 75 teaching and non-teaching personnel, the Manay National High School sustained major damage from the earthquakes as several classrooms and the faculty room were totally damaged.
The Chief Executive also inspected the Regional Evacuation Center in Barangay Central in Tarragona municipality. The evacuation center was assessed unsafe by local authorities and therefore not opened to evacuees.
President Marcos afterwards visited the Tarragona Municipal Grounds Evacuation Center, where makeshift tents were set up in front of the Tarragona Municipal Hall for displaced residents. Around 255 families are currently sheltered at the site.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided family food packs, non-food items, and hot meals through the Mobile Kitchen Program to the evacuees.
The DSWD also distributed PhP10,000 financial assistance each to 35 families whose houses were totally damaged.
Outside the Tarragona Municipal Hall, the President conducted a situation briefing with Cabinet members as well as other national and local government officials to direct relief measures for the affected residents.
Immediately after the earthquakes struck Davao Oriental last Friday, President Marcos ordered Cabinet officials to undertake round-the-clock rescue and relief operations. | PND
