Various senators on Wednesday expressed support for Senate Resolution No. 447, authored by Senator Joel Villanueva, which seeks to mobilize funding and resources for the relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction, and recovery of communities devastated by last week's magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Mindanao.
During the Senate special session, Villanueva said the disaster has claimed at least 68 lives, injured more than 1,000 people, left over 30 missing, and affected more than one million individuals or over 330,000 families. Nearly 19,000 people remain in evacuation centers, while initial estimates place damage to public and private infrastructure at P1.13 billion, a figure expected to increase as assessments continue.
Senators Raffy Tulfo and Erwin Tulfo backed the resolution, stressing the need for immediate government intervention and long-term recovery efforts. Raffy Tulfo said the victims are families who lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods and deserve full government support, while Erwin Tulfo emphasized the importance of restoring essential services and strengthening disaster preparedness as the nation stands in solidarity with the people of Mindanao.