MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is spearheading a coordinated effort with national government agencies and non-government organizations to assist residents of Cebu province devastated by a 6.9-magnitude earthquake, officials said Sunday.
The response aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to unite government and private sector resources to support Filipinos affected by the disaster, DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said in a statement. “This is a whole-of-nation effort to help our fellow citizens in Cebu recover,” he added.
On Saturday, DHSUD officials joined an interagency meeting in Bogo City, the epicenter of the Sept. 30 quake. Undersecretaries Ed Robles and Ramon Quintin Allado, along with Assistant Secretary Hernando Caraig Jr., collaborated with Philippine Red Cross chair Richard Gordon and representatives from various agencies and NGOs to streamline aid efforts.
The team inspected a residential area in Purok Joseph, Barangay Dakit, believed to lie along the faultline responsible for the quake. Accompanied by experts from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, they also assessed a proposed “tent city” site to provide temporary shelter for displaced residents or those too fearful to return home due to damaged houses.
On Friday, Aliling dispatched a DHSUD team to Cebu for a ground assessment to identify immediate needs and coordinate assistance. He also ordered the suspension of housing amortization payments for quake victims, as well as those affected by recent tropical cyclones Nando and Opong in Bicol and Cebu, in line with the president’s instructions.
The earthquake, which struck last week, caused significant damage in Bogo City and surrounding areas, displacing families and prompting a swift government response. Authorities are prioritizing temporary shelters and long-term recovery plans to ensure the safety and well-being of affected communities.
