Cebu City gives ₱5 million aid to GenSan

CEBU, PHILIPPINES — The Cebu City government is set to extend ₱5 million in financial assistance to General Santos City following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off Sarangani last Monday.

Mayor Nestor Archival, in a letter to Councilor David Tumulak dated June 9, requested the sponsorship of a resolution authorizing the release of the amount from PAGCOR funds, stressing that the aid would “directly contribute to relief operations, rehabilitation, and recovery efforts for the affected communities, alleviating their immediate hardships and helping them rebuild their lives.”

Tumulak, chairman of the Committee on Budget and Finance of the City Council and head of the city’s disaster committee, moved quickly to sponsor the resolution.

The measure was unanimously approved by the City Council.

In an interview with THE FREEMAN, Tumulak emphasized that Cebu City’s assistance will be purely financial at this time, noting that no team will be dispatched to General Santos as Mindanao already has sufficient responders on the ground.

“So far, money pa kay nag communicate ta didto, daghan sila responders sa Mindanao,” Tumulak said.

Even as Cebu extends solidarity to GenSan, nearly 30 Cebuano weightlifters remain stranded in the city, with some of them appealing to Archival for assistance to sustain them until their flight back to Cebu on June 12.

These athletes had traveled to compete in the National Open Weightlifting Championships, which was canceled after the younger divisions due to safety concerns.

Coach Christopher Bureros told THE FREEMAN that some athletes are struggling financially because they funded their own participation, with most of them hoping to earn a slot in the national pool.

“Those already in the national team are supported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), but the others are spending from their own pockets,” he said.

He added that they continue to experience aftershocks while waiting for their flight back to Cebu tomorrow, June 12.

The Cebuano weightlifters face additional costs after their flight was rerouted from General Santos to Davao following the closure of the GenSan airport due to quake damage.

Separately, Cebu Province also approved P10 million in aid, recalling how GenSan had extended P8 million to Cebu after the 2025 Bogo earthquake.

Cebu Province prepares for “Big One”

For her part, Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro said that the provincial government is outlining disaster response and measures in the event of Cebu’s “Big One.”

On Tuesday, June 9, Engr. Robinson Jorgio, director of the Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS) Visayas Cluster Monitoring Center for Earthquake and Tsunami, shared during a news forum that Cebu has a potentially active fault line known as the Central Cebu Fault System (CCFS), located within Cebu City.

Jorgio warned that if triggered, this fault could generate a magnitude 7.2 to 7.5 earthquake.

Baricuatro stressed that while “no one is really prepared” for a major earthquake, the local government is currently developing the plans necessary to ensure an immediate response and relief efforts once such a tremor occurs.

Reflecting on their post-quake relief operations in Bogo City during the September 2025 earthquake, the governor said that since distributing food packs could become counterproductive during emergency situations, the Capitol has prepared its mobile kitchens to swiftly provide meals for affected residents.

Moreover, two mobile clinics are already stationed in the southern and northern parts of the province, while another two are currently being procured to enhance access to immediate healthcare during emergencies.

Baricuatro acknowledged that the province needs adequate evacuation spaces should such a tragedy strike, adding that she is considering the Visayas Command (VISCOM) as a potential evacuation site.

“The reason really nganong ang VISCOM wala gyud na nako hilabti is because we need a space for evacuation in case there is the ‘big one,’” she said.

Baricuatro also said that the provincial government is actively “looking for alternative” areas where it can relocate its offices.

“If ang Capitol maapil jud, we have an alternative office in the PDRRMO, the one in Busay,” she said.

Asked about proactive measures in light of Cebu’s active fault lines, including the one near the Buhisan Dam, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) head Ret. Col. Dennis Pastor said authorities could only prepare in advance.

Currently, the PDRRMO has a real-time monitoring system capable of detecting aftershocks ranging from magnitude 1 to 4 and earthquakes of up to magnitude 8, along with a sufficient number of trained responders and disaster response equipment across the province’s municipalities.

In addition, the office has already conducted three batches of Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System (REDAS) training attended by representatives from various LGUs across the province.

Pastor described the Capitol-funded initiative as a “very expensive training” program designed to enhance the technical capabilities of provincial and local DRRM personnel.

In terms of Information, Education, and Communication (IEC), he shared that a budget has already been allocated for the program and that current awareness campaigns are being carried out through the “Andam Sugbo” Facebook page.

Asked about possible measures that may be implemented following the infrastructure assessments of LGUs and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Pastor said, “we just wait for the reports.”

Pastor emphasized that the PDRRMO’s role is “just augmentation,” noting that LGUs such as Mandaue, Talisay, and Cebu City are undertaking their own preparedness measures.

Meanwhile, to assist LGUs in the planning stage, Baricuatro underscored that a Climate Disaster Risk Assessment Plan is underway and is scheduled for completion in July 2026. (IHM)