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The Department of Social Welfare and Development visited the survivors of the C130 incident of Bangkal, Patikul, Sulu at Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) and Camp Navarro General Hospital at Western Mindanao Command lasy July 8, 2021.

Present were OIC – Regional Director Atty. Sittie Raifah Pamaloy-Hassan, Assistant Regional Director for Operations Fatima S. Caminan, and Crisis Intervention Unit Chief Sitti Aisa Askalani to personally assess the situation and provide assistance to the victims.

Of the 37 patients, 3 of them are civilian of which 2 are confined at (ZCMC) and the other at Ciudad Medical Zamboanga (CMZ), while 20 of the soldiers are admitted ZCMC, and 14 are admitted at Camp Navarro General Hospital with lesser injuries where one of the patients tested positive for Covid-19 and is now in isolation. Victims confined at ZCMC and CMZ are those with more severe conditions that require special medical attention.

As assistance, the DSWD Crisis Intervention Unit and the Disaster Risk and Management Division provided assistance by giving the 37 patients outright cash assistance amounting to Php 5,000.00 each, hygiene kits, family kits, and sleeping kits to help them during their stay and recovery in Zamboanga City.

One of the patients confined at Camp Navarro General Hospital recalled the last minutes before the incident. The patient explained the events that transpired, the last attempts of the co-pilot, the prayers and goodbyes yelled by his comrades, how they all accepted their fate but were surprised and grateful that some of them woke up alive.

Zamboanga City’s Malasakit Center closely monitors the needs of the patient and updates DSWD personnel on how the agency can further assist and provide the needs of the survivors. Currently, Malasakit Center has been relocated to a temporary office as the original office is currently housing Covid-19 patients.

The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop where indigent patients and those who are financially incapacitated can avail of financial and medical assistance from the DSWD, the Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

‘Di mo na marinig sigaw ng co-pilot nung di na nagising ang pilot at nahuhulog na kami, malakas yung sigaw ng mga kasama ko nagdadasal, sumisigaw ng ‘I love you ma, pa’, tanggap na naming mamatay na kami sa araw na ‘yun. Gulat nga ako nagising pa ako. Buti na lang nabiak [ang plane] dun kami tumalon.’ A quote from one of the survivors of the incident.

OIC – Regional Director Atty. Sittie Raifah M. Pamaloy-Hassan and Assistant Regional Director for Operations Fatima S. Caminan during the courtesy call with Zamboanga City Medical Center Medical (ZCMC) Center Chief Dr. Afdal Kunting discussing the possibilities of a future documented partnership between DSWD Field Office IX and ZCMC. Followed by visitation to DSWD Malasakit Center temporary office. And visitation to Camp Navarro General Hospital where DSWD personnel conversed with one of the survivors on the events that transpired.