The Communist Party of the Philippines conveyed firm solidarity and heartfelt condolences to the people of Sarangani, General Santos City, and neighboring provinces after a strong earthquake shook these areas on June 8.

The earthquake was recorded at Intensity VIII (Very Destructive) and caused widespread destruction of buildings and around 2,900 homes. At least 45 people have been recorded dead while 630 have been injured as of June 10.

“The Communist Party of the Philippines extends its firm solidarity to the people of Sarangani and neighboring provinces in Mindanao,” CPP chief information officer Marco Valbuena said. “We extend our condolences to the families of those the collapsed structures killed or injured.”

The CPP calls on the Filipino people to link arms to deliver the needed assistance to the people severely affected by the earthquake, especially the toiling masses whose livelihoods were destroyed or disrupted in their daily hard labor to keep their families alive.

It also calls on all concerned citizens to unite in delivering every form of aid needed by the disaster victims. Revolutionary organizations under the National Democratic Front (NDF) and NDF-Mindanao, together with the Red fighters of the New People’s Army, are working closely to deliver all necessary assistance to the affected masses for their immediate relief and recovery.

Meanwhile, schools that were opening for the first day of classes when the earthquake struck were not spared its impact. Many schools sustained heavy damage. According to a teachers’ group, this shows the vulnerability of education facilities. They call to investigate whether the destroyed buildings were made with substandard materials, and whether there was corruption during their construction. They say schools must immediately undergo inspection and repairs to ensure the safety of students and teachers.