As rescue and relief operations continued in disaster-stricken Mindanao, a magnitude 5.5 quake jolted Quezon province on Thursday according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

The quake, of tectonic origin, struck 42 kilometers northeast of Jomalig at 4:52 a.m. It had a depth of seven kilometers.

Intensity 4 was felt in Guinayangan, Quezon and various intensities was also felt in Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Batangas, Metro Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Aurora.

The Philippine Navy (PN) has sent its largest vessel, BRP Daval Del Sur, to the Davao-based Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao to add to the military’s humanitarian assistance and disaster response efforts in the quake-hit areas in the region.

The Navy’s sea asset left Pier 15 of Manila South Harbor last Tuesday en route to providing added manpower, facilities, and supplies to ongoing relief missions for communities severely affected by the series of earthquakes in Mindanao.

“It is a manifestation of the Philippine Navy being always ready and committed to provide prompt assistance to our disaster-stricken fellow Filipinos in order to alleviate them from their current ordeals,” PN public affairs office chief, Lt. Commander Maria Christina Roxas, said in a statement.

The BRP Davao Del Sur has loaded around 56 tons of assorted cargo and equipment which include mobile kitchens, cargo trucks, and towable water treatment trucks from the Philippine Army’s 10th Infantry Division and concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad.

The deployment of the ship — able to carry 500 troops, two rigid-hull inflatable boats, two landing craft units, and three helicopters — was under the order of Navy flag-officer-in-command Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad to deploy some of the command’s assets to accommodate more relief goods and cargo from pick up points in Luzon and the Visayas and ship them go Davao for distribution.

The Philippine Army went a mile further in giving assistance to Mindanao’s earthquake victims by donating part of the soldiers’ meal allowances for relief efforts.

As part of its ongoing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response operations in Cotabato, money equivalent to two meals of the PA personnel’s subsistence allowance for November have been contributed.

Every donation will be deducted from each member of the Army’s 97,000-strong command’s subsistence allowance for the month of November which will amount to around P9.7 million.

“The donations will be allocated to aid the individuals and families affected by the disaster,” PA acting spokesperson Col. Patricio Ruben Amata said in a statement.

Two cities in the Province of Cebu will be sending financial assistance to earthquake-stricken cities and towns in Mindanao.

Mandaue City Council in its special session on Wednesday passed a resolution authorizing City Mayor Jonas Cortes to release Php 8 million as financial assistance to Kidapawan City and seven towns in Davao del Sur and Cotabato.

Cortes said the selection of Kidapawan City and seven towns were based on the assessment conducted by a team, he sent to Mindanao to check on the areas that were hardly affected by the 6.5 magnitude earthquake.

The Davao City relief team delivering aid to quake-hit areas has reached out to distress families in seven villages of Magsaysay, Davao del Sur on Wednesday.