Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said they will check their calamity fund and will conduct further assessment to determine the areas where they can provide much-needed help.
As president of the League of Cities in the Philippines, Rama said he has instructed their executive director to check areas that were badly affected by the magnitude-7 quake last Wednesday.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan said the city has prepared its Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue Team for possible deployment in quake-hit areas.
“We are closely coordinating with the regional Office of the Civil Defense. If there’s already a go signal, we are ready to send our team to the quake-affected areas especially in Abra,” said Chan.
Chan said the city will have to assess its financial capability to check if it can provide financial assistance to affected areas.
He said the assessment is necessary as the city is still recovering from the onslaught of typhoon “Odette” last year.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Central Visayas (DSWD 7) is also prepared to assist if tapped by its counterpart in the Ilocos region.
“So far, as of now, the assessment of affected families is still ongoing. The DSWD has a National Resource Operations Center, a production hub of the DSWD located in Pasay City. It will support the local government units’ efforts to meet the affected families' food and non-food needs. And if there is still a need, DSWD Field Office 7 is ready to help,” said DSWD 7 director Shalaine Maria Lucero.