Quake victims in San Remigio receive aid

Local

TO HELP families in San Remigio, northern Cebu rebuild after the September 30 earthquake, responders delivered new rounds of recovery assistance aimed at jump-starting home repairs.

Aboitiz Foundation on Thursday, Nov. 27, distributed Home Recovery Assistance packages to 225 affected households.

Each of them received help, which includes construction materials and cash support for labor, allowing residents to begin repairing or rebuilding their damaged homes.

San Remigio, one of the towns hardest hit by the quake, continues to receive targeted support as part of the foundation’s broader, needs-based disaster recovery program.

Fred Dalumpines, Impact Lead for Climate Action at Aboitiz Foundation, in an interview, said the assistance aims to give families not only the resources needed for reconstruction but also the flexibility to choose specific materials suited to the condition of their houses.

He noted that the program’s design ensures households can make informed choices while still adhering to quality standards set by partner suppliers.

The foundation’s help is divided into two categories based on the extent of damage.

A total of 168 households classified as partially damaged received P10,000 worth of aid, consisting of P3,500 worth of cement, P3,500 in construction materials, and P3,000 in cash to cover labor expenses.

The morning turnover for this group alone amounted to P1,680,000.

Meanwhile, in the afternoon, 57 families whose homes were assessed as totally damaged were granted P30,000 each—P6,000 for labor, P12,000 in cement, and P12,000 in construction materials.

The allocation for this batch reached P1,710,000, bringing the total assistance distributed in San Remigio to P3,390,000.

Dalumpines explained that beneficiary identification was carried out in close coordination with the local government and the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office.

This system, he said, ensured no duplication in the master list and that priority was given to vulnerable groups, including senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

The foundation also partnered with Republic Cement and accredited dealers to secure special pricing for the materials included in the assistance package.

Dalumpines said this allowed beneficiaries to stretch the value of the support they received.

Part of the process included a detailed price list of available materials, which was shared with beneficiaries ahead of distribution.

In a speech during the program, Anton Perdices, chief operating officer of AboitizPower Distribution Utilities, said that they are focusing their recovery efforts in San Remigio.

He said that based on his earlier visits in northern Cebu, he noticed multiple barangays reported significant structural damage following the magnitude 6.9 tremor on Sept. 30.(MyTVCebu)