Davao City Council OKs P3-M financial aid to quake-hit Davao Occidental, Sarangani LGUs
By Ivy Tejano
DAYANGHIRANG (FB)
DAVAO CITY – The Davao City Council approved on Tuesday, June 30, a P3-million financial aid for local government units in Davao Occidental and Sarangani affected by the recent magnitude-7.8 earthquake.
During the City Council's regular session at Sangguniang Panglungsod, councilors passed seven ordinances under suspended rules authorizing the release of disaster assistance from Davao City's disaster funds.
Davao Occidental was allocated P1 million; P500,000 for General Santos City; P300,000 for the municipalities of Sarangani and Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental; and P300,000 each for the municipalities of Glan, Malapatan, and Alabel in Sarangani.
Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, chairperson of the Committee on Finance, Ways and Means, and Appropriations, said funds will be drawn from the 30 percent Quick Response Fund component of the city's five percent Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund for calendar year 2026.
According to Alfredo Baloran, head of the Davao CDRRMO, the assistance was recommended for local government units that declared a state of calamity following the earthquake.
Davao Occidental recorded 36,146 affected families in 82 barangays. Sarangani has 99,445 affected families and 41 deaths. General Santos has 270,130 affected families and 22 deaths.
The Office of the Civil Defense said that 81 people were killed, 1,315 injured, and 31 missing in Maasim, Sarangani from the earthquake.
Over 1.6 million people, or about 382,000 families, were affected in 626 barangays in Regions 9, 11, 12, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the earthquake caused P1.46 billion in infrastructure damage and P9.5 million in agricultural losses.