Citibank offers debt payment relief to those displaced by Bohol-Cebu quake

MANILA, Philippines — Global banking giant Citibank has offered debt payment relief to credit cardholders and personal loan customers who were victimized by the recent 7.2-magnitude earthquake that devastated Central Visayas.

Similar to credit accommodations implemented by Citi twice in the past when storm Ondoy and southwest monsoons ravaged greater Metro Manila, Citi announced that clients affected by the recent earthquake might ask for a relief of at least 30 days to settle their outstanding balances.


To avail themselves of this leeway, the affected clients are advised to call the 24-hour CitiPhone at 995-9999.

Qualified cardholders and personal loan customers will be entitled to an extra 30 days to settle their outstanding balance from their most recent payment due date. Late payment charges will be waived, and interest charges may be waived on a case to case basis.

Batara Sianturi, Citi Philippines CEO explained that this move would ensure continued access to credit for affected customers.

“This is not the first time that Citi extended payment relief to provide assistance to our customers. Through this program, we hope to give our clients time to settle their card bill or loan account and enjoy continued access to credit, which should be very useful to them in their current situation.”

The first time that Citi offered debt payment relief was during typhoon Ondoy, when Metro Manila was brought to a standstill, with many areas inundated by floods and homes destroyed. At that time, Citi’s payment holiday was extended to targeted areas hardest hit by Typhoon Ondoy. The second time was last year following the extensive flooding brought about by the southwest monsoon.

Citi has branches in Cebu City and Davao City.

“We have been monitoring closely the situation through our officers and employees from Cebu and Davao, who I am pleased to report are all safe together with their families,” Sianturi said.

With aftershocks felt the day after the earthquake, Citi suspended branch operations in Cebu City and encouraged clients to transact through its online, phone and mobile banking channels. “For the safety of our clients and employees, we sought the approval of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and they were very supportive of our plans,” he added.

The 7.2-magnitude earthquake that shook Bohol was also felt in nearby areas with various earthquake intensities recorded in Cebu City, Negros Occidental, Guimaras Island, Bacolod City, and Leyte, stretching to Davao City, Zamboanga Peninsula, Antique and Surigao del Sur.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council estimated that 3.2 million people were affected by the earthquake.

source: business.inquirer.net

Bohol quake toll now at 155

MANILA, Philippines – The number of fatalities from the destructive earthquake that jolted parts of the Visayas and Mindanao jumped to 155, authorities said Wednesday.

Over 3 million people were affected by the killer quake.

In Bohol, Police Officer 3 Carl John Legazpi, operations clerk of the provincial office, said on Wednesday that there were 145 killed in the province as of 6:30 p.m.

The town with the most fatalities was Loon with 42 deaths, followed by Maribojoc with 15 and Antequera with 13,

The two individuals trapped inside the Congressman  Natalio Castillo Sr. Memorial Hospital in Bohol that collapsed during the earthquake were recovered dead, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokesman Major Rey Balido said.

There were 291 persons injured and 23 missing.

The Office of Civil Defense in Central Visayas said that nine people were killed in Cebu and one was recorded in Siquijor.

Balido said that 593,561 families or 3,017,814 persons in three provinces were affected. There were 51 evacuation centers put up in Bohol and Cebu City. Some 30,359 of these individuals were housed in temporary shelters. The NDRRMC’s official records in the afternoon listed 144 deaths.

Lieutenant General Roy Deveraturda, commander of Armed Forces Central Command based in Cebu, said that there were no more isolated towns and villages in Bohol, but it would take time to reach some of these areas.

“You just have to take a long route to reach a particular place. While we were hit by a very strong tremor, I believe the response was good. All agencies helped each other,” he said.

NDRRMC said that there were 23 bridges impassable in Bohol, while five roads were closed to traffic.

The Department of Public Works and Highways said that based on initial assessment, damage to roads and bridges has reached P57.8 million in Bohol. In Cebu, damage to properties was pegged at P17.67 million.

The earthquake also crumbled “signature churches” of the province, which were built during the Spanish era. Some of the hills of the famous Chocolate Hills were deformed.

Bohol and Cebu were placed under state of calamity on Tuesday.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net