Malacañang says funds enough to respond to Mindanao earthquake

Malacañang assured the public Monday that the government has sufficient funds to respond to the impacts of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that jolted Mindanao this morning.

“Alam po natin na ang pondo po sa ngayon ay sapat pa para sa pagsasagawa po ng pagligtas at pag-rescue at para po maibsan ang impact ng nangyaring sakuna nitong araw na ‘to,” Palace Press Officer Usec. Claire Castro said at a press briefing.

(We know that the funds for now are still sufficient for the response and rescue operations and to mitigate the impacts of the disaster that happened today.)

She, however, did not specify the exact amount available for the quick response funds (QRFs).

Asked if President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will visit Mindanao following the powerful earthquake, Castro said that it is not expected anytime soon to allow concerned agencies to focus solely on disaster response.

“Ang Pangulo po kasi kung kailan po nagkakaroon talaga ng ganyan medyo magulo po ang sitwasyon hindi po sumasabay ang Pangulo dahil kapag po ganyan ay mas mabibigyan pa po siya ng atensyon. Hindi po nais ng Pangulo na siya pa ang unahin,” she explained.

(When something like this happens and the situation is still chaotic, the President does not want to visit immediately because then he will be given more attention. The President does not want to be prioritized.)

“So, ang dapat unahin dito ang mga kababayan natin. Dapat focused ang trabaho ng mga agencies at ng mga kababayan natin at mga public servants natin sa mga taong naapektuhan po ng lindol,” she added.

(Our countrymen should be prioritized here. The agencies and our public servants should focus only on the people affected by the earthquake.)

Marcos earlier said that he has directed all relevant government agencies following the earthquake.

He has also ordered the suspension of classes in all levels across affected areas in Mindanao until further notice.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has also assured the availability of QRFs for concerned agencies to support disaster response efforts in Mindanao following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake.

The DBM said the QRFs of all implementing agencies remain available and can be immediately utilized for disaster response and relief operations. — RSJ, GMA News