Glan, Sarangani Mayor Victor James Yap Sr. on Friday appealed for immediate assistance from the national government, saying more than 109,000 residents have been affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao earlier this week.
Speaking on the Presidential Communications Office's "Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon" program, Yap said 23,000 families remain in dire need of aid. He reported 21 confirmed deaths in the municipality and nine people still missing, believed trapped under collapsed structures or buried by landslides. Rescue operations continue to face challenges as several roads remain impassable, delaying the deployment of heavy equipment needed to reach isolated barangays.
Yap said food, potable water and financial assistance are urgently needed, with prolonged power outages disrupting water refilling stations and other essential services. He added that the town's P10-million quick response fund has already been exhausted, prompting an appeal for additional national funding to help families rebuild their homes and accelerate the recovery of communities, schools and churches damaged by the quake.
