Valenzuela City Government offials personally brought the Php 22 Million financial assistance from the Quick Response Fund (QRF) of City’s Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF) for the provinces of Cotabato and Davao del Sur and its localities affected by the October 29 and 31 earthquake.

Vice Mayor Lorena Natividad-Borja lead the City’s delegation with District 1 Councilor Rovin Feliciano, District 2 Councilor Niña Lopez, and City Social Welfare and Development Officer, Ms. Dorothy Evangelista in making rounds to the evacuation centers to hand down the checks to their local government officials last Saturday, November 9.

Valenzuela City’s own, Senator WIN Gatchalian, also joined the delegation to look into the situation of the evacuees and the localities to determine which other means his office can assist the victims.

On October 30, 2019, the Valenzuela City’s Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (LDRRMC) convened immediately.  Its was the day after the 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck the island of Mindanao which severely affected several towns and cities in the abovementioned provinces.   

Anchored on the compassionate program of the City, the VC [Valenzuela City] Cares Plus, which does not only aim to look after the welfare of its constituency, but also of its brothers and sisters in the neighboring and far off municiplaities and cities, the Council deliberated and discussed the urgent need to provide for the growing needs of the residents in the areas devastated by the quake.

The day after, as the same areas in Mindanao were being struck by another 6.5 magnitude strong earthquake, the Sangguniang Panlungsod ng Valenzuela approved Resolution 1472, Series of 2019, authorizing Mayor REX Gatchalian to release the PhP 22 Million from the QRF.  It officially allowed the transfer of the fund with an estimate of PhP 16 Million for the Province of Cotabato and its affected localities, and PhP 6 Million for the Province of Davao del Sur and its affected localities.

After thorough assessment, the fund were distributed as follows:

1. Provincial Government of Davao del Sur – PhP 2 Million
2. Digos City – PhP 1 Million
3. Municipality of Bansalan - PhP 1 Million
4. Municipality of Magsaysay- PhP 1 Million
5. Municipality of Matanao – PhP 1 Million
6. Provincial Government of Cotabato – PhP 4 Million
7. Kidapawan City – PhP 1.5 million
8. Municipality of Magpet – PhP 500,000
9. Municipality of Makilala – PhP 5 Million
10. Municipality of Tulunan – 2.5 Million

There were also provisons for burial assistance for casualties worth PhP 20,000 for each family.

It can be recalled that the Province of Cotabato was earlier ravaged by a strong earthquake on October 16, which prompted the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on October 23, to declare the entire province under the State of Calamity.

Through the VC Cares program, Valenzuela City has been assisting areas hit by natural calamities.  “We are more than happy to share whatever amount we can if there are extra funds available and allowable by law.  We think that it is our divine duty to send a helping hand whenever we are being spared from these unavoidable natural calamities,” Mayor REX said.

The last ones the City has aided were the residents of the another quake-hit province of Batanes back in August of this year.