The city and province of Iloilo will be extending assistance to areas affected by the recent earthquakes.

In an interview, Mayor Raisa Treñas said the city government will provide P200,000 each for Bogo City and Davao Oriental.

“We are preparing. Ever since that has been our practice. Our budget office has made coordination because we will give P200,000 to Bogo and P200,000 to Davao,” she said.

Meanwhile, Councilor Sedfrey Cabaluna, through the “Tabang Sang mga Ilonggo” donation drive, already sent goods and messages of hope to those affected by the earthquake in northern Cebu.

“In just a short amount of time, we were able to gather an incredible amount of donations, both cash and in-kind, from various sectors. Your generosity and quick response have made a huge difference,” he said on his Facebook page.

The donations, enough to help at least 670 families, were transported with the assistance of the 3rd Civil Military Operations of the Philippine Army.

Meanwhile, Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. said the provincial government will extend aid to Davao, but it will first determine the capacity of the province.

“Once we determine that, we will process. But for sure we will provide aid to the provinces,” he said in a media interview.

He added that one possible source would be the fund from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

Defensor already signed the PHP5 million check for Cebu, which will be sent on Tuesday.

Alfonso Baldonado III, chief of the training and administrative division of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said they continue to monitor the series of earthquakes affecting different areas in the country.

The provincial capitol is one of the areas installed with the intensity meter reading instrument by the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology.

“We will be monitoring developments for the entire day,” he said.

He added that the province already has its protocol ready in times of earthquakes, including the observance of “duck, cover and hold,” evacuation, accounting of personnel and checking of the structural integrity of major buildings.PNA