The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) on Monday awarded a total of P4.1 million in cash incentives to the 82-man Philippine contingent sent to the earthquake-hit Turkey.
According to PAGCOR, 82 members of the Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent to Turkey were given P50,000 each as a reward for their unwavering support and effort to help the victims of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the country last February 6.
“Before the volunteers returned to the Philippines last February 28, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco committed to give incentives to them as a token of appreciation for their selfless act,” PAGCOR AVP for Community Relations and Services Eric Balcos said.
“They sacrificed themselves to help and were able to conquer the challenges including bearing the extreme weather conditions. It was a huge task, but they all did it and made the whole country proud,” he added.
The contingent consists of volunteers from different agencies including the Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Army (PA), Philippine Airforce (PAF), Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), and Office of Civil Defense (OCD)
The Philippine response team –that was sent to Turkey for a two-week deployment starting February 8 –was able to serve 1,022 patients, helped recover the bodies of six earthquake victims, and assessed 36 buildings. They also distributed blankets, bonnets, and gloves to the victims.
