Marcos: Immediate concern is shelter, return to homes still dangerous

The government will help affected residents rebuild their homes after a Magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit Luzon on Wednesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said.

At a news conference, Marcos said shelter would be prioritized especially since it was unsafe for people to return to their houses pending inspections and expected aftershocks.

Asked if the government assistance would extend to rebuilding damaged houses, Marcos said, "Tutulong kami, siyempre."

"Lalo na sa lindol, ang immediate concern is shelter. Kasi nga kahit na titingnan mo ‘yung bahay mukhang matibay, hindi mo malalaman hanggang nainspeksyon nang mabuti ‘yun," Marcos said.

(Of course, we will help. The immediate concern is shelter because if you look at the houses, you will not immediately know if they are sturdy unless they are properly inspected.)

"So we cannot allow people to return to their homes yet because it’s dangerous. That is one of the problems," Marcos said, citing the tendency of people to immediately return to their homes to protect their property and belongings.

Marcos said that in the meantime, the government will provide temporary shelters and food for those forced to leave their houses.

"In the meantime, it is up to us, the government, to provide shelter for them to be able to feed them while they are in the shelters, and to inspect their residences, their places of business," Marcos said.

Asked if there will be cash allowances for those with damaged houses, Marcos said the government has not made calculations yet.

"But siyempre, we have all of the mechanisms that have been put in place for the pandemic. So they are also in place," Marcos said. -NB, GMA News