(PHOTO: PCSO)
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has launched relief operations in Davao Region after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on Friday, Oct. 10.
Personnel from the PCSO Davao Branch Office and authorized agent corporations (AACs) Jambhala Gaming Corporation, Felicity Games and Amusement Corporation, and Plutus Gaming Corporation delivered aid to affected families.
The agency said the team was initially bound for Manay, Davao Oriental, but rerouted to Tarragona after the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported that roads to the epicenter were impassable.
(PHOTO: PCSO)
Coming from Mati City, the PCSO said the group distributed food packs and bottled water to over 500 families in Tarragona, one of the hardest-hit towns.
“PCSO’s extensive network of 73 branches and AACs nationwide enables us to respond quickly and efficiently to affected communities, ensuring timely delivery of aid,” PCSO General Manager Melquiades Robles said in a statement.
According to Robles, the agency is coordinating with local governments and disaster officials to sustain assistance and monitor the needs of quake-affected residents.
He said PCSO remains committed to using its resources to help Filipinos recover from natural disasters.
The agency had earlier sent aid caravans to areas affected by Typhoon Opong in Masbate and the recent Cebu earthquake.