President Marcos announced that the families of those who died during the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Sarangani will receive P50,000 each from the government.

He announced this while in General Santos City on Wednesday, June 10, to assess the situation following the strong earthquake, which claimed 45 lives.

"Lahat ng pamilya na mayroon silang casualty, nabiktima, nasawi ay magbibigay tayo ng tigfi-50,000 para sa kanila, para tulong doon sa kanilang naging – malapit sa kanila na namatay (All families who have a casualty, those who were victimized and whose loved ones died, will receive P50,000 each from us as assistance for the loss of someone close to them)," Marcos said.

The local government of General Santos City will also receive P100 million from the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) for the repair of its city hall.

Marcos added that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will also release funds from the LGSF to finance infrastructure repair in Sarangani Province and South Cotabato.

Among the public infrastructure damaged by the strong earthquake was the General Santos High School, which engineers will assess to determine which parts can still be used and which need to be rebuilt.

"Sa ngayon, mayroong obvious na makita na mga sira. Pero kailangan pa rin natin tiyakin na safe. Kaya't yung mga engineer ay papasok na para i-assess kung ano ba ‘yung parte ng building na puwede pang gamitin, ano yung hindi na talaga puwede, kailangan pabagsakin yung buong building. Mabigyan tayo ng impormasyon tungkol diyan (Right now, there are clearly visible damages. But we still need to make sure that everything is safe. That’s why engineers will be sent in to assess which parts of the building can still be used, which parts are no longer safe, and whether the entire building needs to be demolished. We need to be properly informed about that)," Marcos said.

The President said the power supply is now 85 percent restored. However, power supply in some impassable areas is yet to be restored, he added.

"Ang report sa akin doon sa power supply ay we are up to P5 percent back to full performance. Mayroon pa tayong mga hinihintay (The report I received on the power supply is that we are now up to P5 percent back to full performance. We are still waiting for full restoration in some areas)," Marcos said.

"Mayroon pa kasing mga area – dalawa, tatlong area na hanggang ngayon hindi nila mapasok, hindi nila maayos ang mga distribution at pati planta. May plantang that had to – two plants had to stop operation (There are still two or three areas that cannot be accessed at the moment, so the distribution lines and even the power plants there cannot yet be repaired. Two plants had to stop operations)," Marcos added.

The President further said those areas cannot be reached because the roads are blocked due to damage or landslides.

Areas, like Glan, which cannot be accessed due to road closures, have received relief goods delivered by aircraft, Marcos added.

"Pero nag-report sa akin ang AFP na nakapag-deliver sila ng pagkain, nakapag-deliver sila ng gamot, at kung ano ‘yung lagi nating binibigay na pangangailangan sa mga tinamaan nitong sakuna na ito (But the Armed Forces of the Philippines reported to me that they have already delivered food, medicines, and other basic necessities that we regularly provide to those affected by this disaster)," he said.

Communication has also been restored while water supply is being addressed, Marcos said.

It is somewhat limited at the moment, Marcos added, but they are coordinating closely with local government units to ensure that all the victims' immediate needs are addressed right away.

Marcos stressed that the earthquake is a traumatizing experience, especially for the children. So, he urged teachers to monitor their students and provide mental health support.

He cited a program under the Department of Health (DOH) which provides training for basic support or therapy.

"Pati yung kausap ko yung mga teacher, at sinabi ko sa kanila, alalahanin nila na traumatizing itong experience para sa mga estudyante, para sa mga bata (I also spoke with the teachers and reminded them that this experience can be traumatizing for the students and children)," he said.

"So, bantayan din nila. We have a program sa DOH na tutulong sa mental health ng mga bata na dumaan sa ganitong klaseng experience (So they should also monitor them closely. We have a program under the Department of Health (DOH) that will help provide mental health support for children who have gone through this kind of experience)," he added.

The President also noted that children sometimes do not speak up, thus teachers must be there to help them cope with the situation.

"Kasi kung minsan hindi nagsasabi ‘yung bata. Kailangan, sabi ko, bantayan ninyo nang mabuti. ‘Pag may nakita kayo na nangangailangan ng tulong, puwede naman kami tumulong sa DOH (Because sometimes children do not speak up. That’s why I told them to keep a close watch. If they see anyone who needs help, we can coordinate with the DOH)," Marcos said.

"Iyong mga teacher mismo ang gagawin nila, mayroon silang training after this. Magte-training sila para diyan precisely para makausap and provide a little therapy sa ating mga estudyante. That is one of the main concerns. Kung minsan hindi masyadong napapag-usapan ‘yan (The teachers themselves will undergo training after this. They will be trained specifically so they can talk to the students and provide basic support or therapy. That is one of our main concerns, although it is sometimes not talked about enough)," he added.

Marcos also assured those who are out of work because their workplaces closed due to the earthquake that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will provide them assistance to remedy their situation.

"Pati yung mga out-of-work ngayon dahil nagsara ang mga tindahan, hindi sila nagtatrabaho and no work, no pay ‘yan. Kaya mayroon din silang kaunting tulong na tinatanggap mula sa DSWD at saka siyempre ‘yung TUPAD sa DOLE and AICS na ating tulong for all our citizens in crises situations (Those who are out of work because shops are closed, since many are on a ‘no work, no pay’ arrangement, they are receiving some assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as well as programs like TUPAD under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and AICS for citizens in crisis situations)," Marcos said.

Those whose houses were damaged were also told to report the condition of their homes to the National Housing Authority (NHA). They will step in to help, Marcos assured them.

The Chief Executive hopes aftershocks stop so they can continue bringing assistance to those in need.

"Now, we are also working very quickly – open lahat nung mga daanan para kahit saan makapasok na yung mga sasakyan natin. Magdala ng tulong, mag-ayos ng mga electricity, ng mga water system, at basta mabilis na ang ating – mabilis na ang pagdala ng serbisyo dito (to open all roads so that our vehicles can access all areas. This is to deliver aid, repair electricity and water systems, and generally speed up the delivery of services here)," Marcos said.

"So, that’s the situation right now. And we hope we will not feel any more aftershocks and we can continue to work  to bring whatever the needs are of those who were victimized by this earthquake," he added.