Vice President Sara Duterte said the Office of the Vice President (OVP) mobilizes food trucks, relief goods, and field teams to earthquake-hit areas in Mindanao, as survivors grapple with deaths, displacement, and continuing aftershocks.
In an ambush interview, Duterte said the OVP Disaster Operations Center and its Southern Mindanao satellite office were among the first responders on the ground, deploying mobile kitchens to support rescue operations in General Santos City where several structures had reportedly collapsed.
“Ang una pong response ng Disaster Operations Center ng Office of the Vice President at ng Southern Mindanao Satellite Office ay yung pagpapadala ng food trucks namin noong panahon ng search and rescue sa mga nawawala at mga biktima ng malakas na lindol,” Duterte said.
She said the food trucks were immediately used to prepare hot meals for exhausted first responders and rescue teams working through unstable debris.
As operations shifted from rescue to relief, Duterte said the OVP distributed rice and food packs to bereaved families who held wakes for relatives killed in the quake, as well as to displaced residents in evacuation areas.
“Yung mga rice food bags na binibigay namin doon sa mga pamilya na nagburol at naglamay ng kanilang mga kamag-anak na namatay dahil sa lindol,” she said, adding that relief boxes were also given to families forced to leave their homes.
Separately, Duterte led the distribution of Relief for Indigents and Individuals in Crises and Emergencies (RIICE) assistance in Cotabato City on Wednesday, 10 June, covering senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), solo parents, and fisherfolk.
The OVP also said Duterte formally opened the “EXTRA+Ordinary: The Vice Presidents of the Philippines” pop-up exhibit at Rojas Central Elementary School, showcasing the contributions and legacy of past vice presidents.
The simultaneous relief work and public engagement came as government agencies continued to assess the full extent of damage from the earthquake, which left several communities in southern Mindanao reeling from casualties and destruction.
Duterte visited affected areas in Sarangani and hospitals in General Santos City, where injured residents were being treated and families awaited updates on missing relatives.
“Yung task ko ay yung pag-bisita sa mga pamilya na namatayan at doon sa mga nasugatan dahil sa lindol,” she said.
On disaster preparedness, Duterte stressed that earthquakes provide no warning, making preparedness the only effective protection.
“Ang lindol wala siyang warning kaya ang pinaka-mabisa na panlaban na magawa natin ay yung paghahanda natin kung ano yung dapat natin gawin,” she said.
Authorities have yet to release a final consolidated damage report, but initial assessments point to widespread structural damage and continued aftershocks affecting affected communities.
