MALAPATAN, Sarangani — As communities in Sarangani continue rebuilding after the powerful June 8 earthquake, one barangay is putting government assistance to work in two areas that matter most: keeping students in school and restoring damaged community facilities.
Barangay Tuyan in Malapatan received a P200,000 allocation under the Socio-Civic Projects Fund–Bawat Barangay Makikinabang (SCPF-BBM). Barangay officials said half of the amount will directly benefit five students, while the remaining funds may be used to address urgent community needs, including repairs to the barangay gymnasium damaged by the earthquake.
Five students to receive P20,000 each
According to Barangay Captain Ritchel T. Rabor, P100,000 of the allocation will be divided among five selected students, giving each beneficiary P20,000 in educational assistance.
The assistance is particularly significant for students from financially disadvantaged families, according to Rabor, who said the support could help them continue their studies despite financial difficulties.
Rather than treating the assistance simply as short-term relief, the barangay is using part of the fund to help young residents stay on track with their education—a critical need for families still coping with the aftermath of a major disaster.
The other P100,000 could help rebuild the barangay
The remaining P100,000 has yet to be assigned to a specific project, but officials are considering using it for priority needs created or worsened by the earthquake.
Among the possibilities is the rehabilitation of Tuyan’s barangay gymnasium, which sustained damage during the quake.
Rabor said the barangay would determine how best to use the remaining amount based on its most urgent needs.
That makes the assistance significant beyond the five student beneficiaries: the same allocation could also contribute to restoring a shared community facility where residents can gather, conduct activities and respond to future emergencies.
A powerful earthquake left communities across Mindanao struggling
The assistance comes after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck offshore Sarangani on June 8, 2026.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the earthquake occurred at 7:37 a.m. Philippine Standard Time, with its epicenter located about 32 kilometers west of Maasim, Sarangani, at an estimated depth of 33 kilometers. PHIVOLCS said the event was associated with subduction along the Cotabato Trench.
The earthquake affected a wide portion of Mindanao. The Philippine News Agency reported on June 25 that 87,058 houses had been reported damaged, while an estimated 382,269 families, or more than 1.63 million people, across 620 barangays in Regions IX, XI, XII and BARMM were affected. At that point, authorities were still validating the figures.
The disaster also disrupted education. GMA News reported that classes remained suspended in Sarangani and General Santos days after the earthquake as authorities assessed conditions and worked to ensure the safety of students and school communities.
Relief efforts are shifting toward recovery
The response has extended beyond immediate food and emergency assistance.
In July, Philippine Star reported that nearly P4 million in humanitarian and rebuilding assistance had reached communities in Malapatan and other affected areas following the earthquake and subsequent impacts from Typhoon Inday.
International and humanitarian organizations have also been involved. People in Need Philippines said its emergency response in earthquake-affected Mindanao included assistance to communities through its REACH-M project, supported by a €100,000 donation, or approximately P6.9 million at the time of its June report.
Other humanitarian responders have focused on communities facing difficulties accessing assistance, including isolated areas in Sarangani.
From disaster relief to rebuilding lives
For Tuyan, however, recovery is also being measured in smaller, more personal ways.
Five students are set to receive P20,000 each—money that can help ease education expenses at a time when many families are still recovering from disaster-related losses.
At the same time, the possible rehabilitation of the barangay gym points to another stage of recovery: rebuilding spaces that communities rely on long after emergency responders have left.
The P200,000 allocation may not repair every problem created by the earthquake, but in Barangay Tuyan, officials are trying to make every peso serve a practical purpose—helping young people remain in school while beginning to restore a damaged community.
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