Baricuatro defends P10M aid to quake-hit General Santos City
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro defended the provincial government’s decision to extend P10 million in financial aid to earthquake-hit General Santos City.
The governor also said that the Capitol continues to provide support to affected communities in Cebu based on beneficiary lists submitted by local government units (LGUs).
Speaking during a press conference on Wednesday, June 10, the governor issued the clarification after some residents affected by the magnitude 6.7 earthquake that struck northern Cebu in September 2025 questioned why they had yet to receive assistance while the province approved calamity aid for General Santos City following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit Mindanao earlier this week.
READ: Cebu Province OKs P10M aid for quake-hit General Santos
Assistance based on LGU lists
Responding to concerns raised online, Baricuatro stressed that the provincial government only augments the efforts of cities and municipalities and relies on the lists submitted by local governments.
“We are just augmenting the local government unit. We are not the bida here, it is the LGU. We are here to support the LGU. So we get our list from the LGU,” Baricuatro said.
She appealed to residents not to immediately blame the Capitol for delays or the absence of assistance, noting that the provincial government has to attend to the needs of 44 municipalities and six component cities.
“Dahan-dahan lang, mahina ang kalaban. Daghan kaayo mi gi-take care, 44 municipalities and six component cities,” she said.
(Slowly, because we are working with limited capacity. We have to take care of 44 municipalities and six component cities.)
READ: Cebu LGUs prepare aid for victims of Mindanao earthquake
The governor acknowledged that identifying and distributing assistance to beneficiaries is a challenging process.
Residents urged to coordinate
Baricuatro encouraged residents who have yet to receive aid to coordinate with their respective LGUs and ensure that they are included in the beneficiary lists submitted to the province.
“Reach out sad mo sa inyong local government units para mahibaw-an sad nga nanginahanglan mo,” she said.
(Reach out to your local government units so they will know that you need assistance.)
She also advised residents with concerns to directly approach the Capitol.
The governor added that residents should not simply wait to be identified.
“Kung naa’y dili mahatagan, maybe wala mo nihatag sa inyong lista didto. Wa mo nagpalista, naghuwat ra mo nga kamo’y adtuon,” she said.
(If some were not able to receive aid, perhaps they were not included in the list. You should not simply wait to be approached.)
General Santos aid defended
Baricuatro said the province’s assistance to General Santos City was also meant to reciprocate the support Cebu received following the September 2025 earthquake.
READ: What is VP Duterte doing as Mindanao reels from massive quake?
According to the governor, General Santos City extended P8 million in assistance to Cebu after the disaster, with the city’s mayor personally delivering the aid.
“GenSan has been very generous to Cebu. They gave us P8 million when we experienced the earthquake last year, and the mayor personally delivered it. I would like to return the favor,” Baricuatro said.
Baricuatro stressed that extending aid to General Santos City should not be interpreted to mean that victims in Cebu have been neglected.
“Please do not think nga ingon ana nga huna-huna kay tungod giuna nato sila didto, unya diri wala matagaan,” she said.
(Please do not think that because we helped them first, those here have already been forgotten.)
Turnover preparations underway
Baricuatro said she intends to personally turn over the province’s financial assistance to General Santos City.
Before the turnover, however, an advance team led by Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Dennis Pastor will first assess conditions in the affected areas, particularly the state of roads and bridges damaged by the earthquake.
“There are reports of damaged roads and bridges. If the governor will be there, we need to ensure her safety and make sure she will not be stranded,” Pastor said.
The province is eyeing the soonest possible schedule for the turnover, possibly within the weekend, depending on the results of the assessment.
Baricuatro also thanked the Provincial Board for approving the assistance.
More aid possible
The governor said the province opted to provide cash assistance instead of relief goods, taking into account that supply chains in the affected areas remain operational.
Drawing from Cebu’s own experience during last year’s earthquake, Baricuatro said immediate assistance was crucial, recalling that many affected families had no opportunity to cook and that the province had to spend heavily on packed meals.
The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and the Provincial Health Office have likewise been placed on standby should local authorities request psychosocial services or medical augmentation.
Baricuatro said she had also spoken with South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., who informed her that damage assessments were still ongoing.
“So far they are okay man kuno but if augmentation becomes necessary, we are prepared to extend further support,” she added.
Earlier this week, the Cebu Provincial Board approved a resolution authorizing Baricuatro to release P10 million in financial assistance to General Santos City to support relief and recovery efforts following the powerful earthquake that struck parts of Mindanao.
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