THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday deployed its largest vessel to the central Philippines to support medical operations following a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck a densely populated island in the region.
Ten medical teams consisting of doctors, nurses and medics, alongside medical equipment were aboard the 96.6-meter BRP Teresa Magbanua, the PCG’s largest multi-role response vessel, which departed Manila at noon en route to Cebu, coast guard spokeswoman Captain Noemie Guirai-Cayabyab said.
“Our deployment is in accordance with the directive of our president… to respond promptly to what happened [on Tuesday],” she told reporters in Filipino.
Cebu is a densely populated island located in the central Philippines and is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. It is home to roughly 3.32 million Filipinos, according to government data.
A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the island just before 10 p.m. on Tuesday, severely impacting Bogo City in northern Cebu, which sits near the epicenter of the shallow tremor.
The PCG also deployed nine teams of tracker dogs to help support search and rescue operations, Ms. Cayabyab said. They were aboard a Philippine Air Force (PAF) C-130 cargo plane.
In a separate statement, the PAF said it activated a disaster response task force to support rescue operations in Cebu, deploying transport planes to carry personnel to the island and helicopters to assess damage while airlifting medical teams, equipment and goods to hardest-hit areas. Meanwhile, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has urged agencies to tap P8-billion calamity funds for rehabilitation and relief of those affected by the recent 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Cebu.
In a statement on Wednesday, the DBM said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRM) fund has a balance of P8.01 billion, which can be used for emergency relief and rehabilitation programs for disaster-affected areas.
“We also have the NDRRM on standby for larger-scale needs, including the repair of damaged facilities and heritage sites, to help ensure that our communities can rise again as quickly as possible,” Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said.
The Cebu earthquake, which resulted in widespread destruction in residential and commercial infrastructure, left at least 60 dead, according to the disaster agency.
She also said government agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Office of Civil Defense have Quick Response Funds (QRF) to use for delivering assistance.
The QRF is an emergency standby facility that finances urgent relief and recovery initiatives in the time of disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons.
The DBM noted that agencies can ask replenishment from the DBM once their QRF balance has been reduced to at least 50%. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio and Aubrey Rose A. Inosante
