State Routes P520 Million in Quake Aid to Soccsksargen

Sixteen local government units in Soccsksargen will receive P520 million in national government assistance for earthquake recovery. The money comes through a state-managed disaster fund. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the ceremonial turnover at Malacañang Palace on November 5. Communities damaged by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake off Sarangani province in June will rely on public authorities to direct reconstruction funding.

Who Controls the Recovery Funds

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF), managed by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), provides the assistance. The allocation puts the national government and its disaster agencies at the center of decisions about how recovery resources reach local governments.

The funding aims to rebuild and rehabilitate damaged infrastructure, including roads, bridges, public buildings and facilities, as well as housing and resettlement projects. Those are the needs named for the funding, but the report doesn’t specify individual projects, construction schedules or how residents will take part in decisions about them.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) 12 listed General Santos City; Sarangani province and its municipalities; Koronadal City; and municipalities in South Cotabato among the beneficiaries. Sarangani’s named municipalities are Glan, Malapatan, Maasim, Kiamba, Maitum, Malungon and Alabel. The South Cotabato municipalities named are Tboli, Lake Sebu, Polomolok, Tupi, Santo Niño and Banga.

How the Money Is Divided

General Santos City, the Sarangani provincial government and Glan municipal government each received P100 million. Malapatan received P50 million. The largest named grants go to two city or provincial authorities and one municipal government, while other local governments received smaller amounts.

Maasim, Kiamba and Maitum in Sarangani, along with Koronadal City, Tboli and Lake Sebu in South Cotabato, each received P20 million. Malungon and Alabel in Sarangani, and Polomolok and Tupi in South Cotabato, received P10 million each. Santo Niño and Banga received P5 million each.

The figures show the allocations to local governments, not how much will reach particular households or neighborhoods. The report doesn’t give more details about project selection, local consultations or the distribution of housing assistance. It also describes no community-organized response, mutual aid effort or direct action alongside the government funding.

Reporting Damage, Receiving Aid

Marcos urged local governments to improve how they document and report disaster damage to the OCD and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). He said timely and complete reports would help the national government assess conditions on the ground, identify affected communities’ needs and provide appropriate assistance.

Local reporting, then, helps determine which needs become visible to national authorities. The account gives no further details on the reporting process or how affected residents can challenge an assessment. It identifies no electoral or legislative proposal, and no NGO or nonprofit organization involved in delivering assistance. The described recovery system runs through government agencies and local government units, with the OCD managing the national fund.