On April 22, 2019, at 5:11pm, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake hits Luzon. According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the central point is at Castillejos, Zambales, causing damages within Central Luzon and some parts of nearby areas.

Secretary Rolando Bautista of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), together with the department’s region III staff, responds quickly to the reported building that took some lives.

Chuzon, a 4-storey supermarket and shopping place located at Barangay Babo Sacan, Porac, Pampanga, collapsed during the said earthquake. Confirmed casualties accounted as of 1:00 AM of 23 April 2019 are as follows: 6 deaths, 9 critically injured (still confined at Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital), 57 injured (discharged from the hospital), and 30 are still missing.

According to Secretary Bautista, it is important for the affected individuals, families and communities to feel the presence of the department immediately. He prefer to assess the situation personally to aide in his outright directives. “Madali akong makapagdesisyon kapag nakikita ko mismo ang sitwasyon,” he said.

He instructed the regional staff to provide all possible assistance to the victims and survivors, especially medical assistance to injured individuals, burial assistance to non-survivors and shelter assistance to families with damaged houses.

DSWD Region III is set to manage a 24 hours DSWD information and help desk at the said site which will be composed of representatives from the Disaster Response Management Division, Crisis Intervention Unit and Sustainable Livelihood Program. While a total of 100 food packs and 41 hygiene kits were already distributed among the clients.

The department is also preparing for the provision of Balik Probinsya Program among the affected workers of Chuzon, because most of them are from other provinces and they don’t have any family with them here.

In another report, there are 5 communities in Porac, Pampanga that were affected, too. 1 of which is an Aeta community with 53 families. The extent of damage houses are yet to be validated among the 5 communities for possible provision of Emergency Shelter Assistance and Livelihood Programs.

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