Saudi Arabia Extends Aid to Mindanao Earthquake Victims

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Local executives expressed their gratitude as Saudi Arabia committed to extend much-needed relief support to families severely affected by the Magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck numerous areas in the Bangsamoro region, Regions 10 and 11, and the Zamboanga peninsula on June 8. South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo, Jr. announced on Wednesday, July 29, that he and his constituents are thankful to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) central office and the Embassy of Saudi Arabia for forging an agreement on Tuesday regarding the relief assistance from the Saudi government. The powerful tremor caused over P700 million worth of damage to houses, classrooms, buildings, and hospitals in Region 12's South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces, and their adjoining cities of Koronadal and General Santos alone. The Embassy of Saudi Arabia, through The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), will channel relief assistance to at least 120,000 individuals in the tremor-stricken southern cities and provinces. The agreement between the Saudi Embassy and DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Bureau stipulates that the Saudi Arabian government will provide 15,500 hygiene kits, 15,500 shelter kits, and 150 mobile latrine facilities to relief sites in Jose Abad Santos and Malita towns in Davao Occidental, and in the provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat, where thousands of displaced residents are still housed. "We are thankful to the government of Saudi Arabia for this big help for residents of the municipalities and cities in Region 12 that got devastated by an earthquake last June," Tamayo, who also chairs the multi-sectoral Regional Peace and Order Council 12 (RPOC 12), stated on Wednesday. Dozens of houses, buildings, and classrooms in South Cotabato and its capital, Koronadal City, were destroyed by the June 8 earthquake. More than 30 villagers in Sarangani, South Cotabato, and General Santos City died from injuries sustained during the earthquake, which also triggered landslides in hinterland areas. Cotabato Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, chairperson of the Regional Development Council 12 (RDC 12), expressed her gratitude to the Saudi Arabian Embassy and the DSWD central office for initiating this relief support mission for residents displaced and left homeless by the earthquake. She also noted Saudi Arabia's historical support as a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for the crafting of peace compacts between the Philippine government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), many of whose members reside in areas hit by the earthquake. Members of RPOC 12 and RDC 12, chaired by Tamayo and Taliño-Mendoza respectively, are supporting the calamity impact mitigation operations of local government units in Region 12. The aid from Saudi Arabia is seen as a significant boost to the recovery efforts for the affected communities.