Malacañang yesterday appealed for cooperation following the magnitude-6.7 earthquake that rocked Surigao del Norte and killed six people Friday night.
Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella asked the public to continue praying and continue the Filipino spirit of bayanihan or community cooperation.
“Let’s be careful, let’s be cooperative with one another. And let us avoid ‘yung mga areas where the structures are unsteady and unsure,” Abella said in an interview over Radyo ng Bayan.
“Patuloy po tayo na we’ll be looking out for one another. These are trying times and we are our hearts go out to the Surigaonons,” he added.
Abella offered a prayer in Bisaya for the victims of the earthquake seeking for the continued spirit of bayanihan and asking the Lord to spare them from any more harm.
According to Abella, the Departments of Social Welfare and Development and Public Works and Highways are already working to help earthquake victims.
He said DSWD, which is the lead agency, has sent food packs to earthquake victims while DPWH is already working on clearing the roads to give way to relief operations.
“Meron silang funds already ready for that ‘no, ‘yung may mga specifics,” he said. “It will work as quickly as possible so that they can actually create structures and clear the debris para makadaan as soon as possible ‘yung mga relief operations ng gobyerno.”
Presidential Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar said the DSWD regional office has prepositioned 8.258 family food packs to geographically hard-to-reach areas.
“The DSWD regional warehouse has a stockpile of 14,637 family packs. The DSWD field office has a stockpile of 14,637 family packs and standby fund amounting to P2,895,921.91,” Andanar said. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)
