By Brian Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. returned to Cebu on Friday to check on the condition of families displaced by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the province last Sept. 30, assuring that all survivors now have temporary shelters with the erection of the first set of modular shelter units (MSUs).
Following his visit to the first Bayanihan Village in Cebu–located in Barangay Poblacion, San Remigio—Marcos said MSUs are also being installed in other evacuation areas to replace the tents, providing better accommodations for the residents.
The Chief Executive also visited the Tent City set up by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Philippine Red Cross in Bogo City; as well as the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Barangay Taytayan to check on the ongoing repairs in the hospital.
“Kung makita ninyo, ‘yung dinaanan natin na Tent City, pinapalitan na natin ‘yung tent at nilalagay na natin ‘yung mas maganda, mas matibay na housing,” he said.
The Bayanihan Village was established in just a week through the concerted efforts of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), DPWH, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Office of Civil Defense (OCD), and two private companies.
A total of 45 MSUs were set up in San Remigio in compliance with the President’s directive to provide safe and comfortable refuge for quake victims—with at least 20 modular homes formally turned over to the municipal government and are now occupied by displaced families whose homes had been completely destroyed or were designated as no-build zones.
Meanwhile, about 250 families are currently residing in 150 tents at the Tent City located at the New Public Market beside the Bayanihan Village.
The DSWD had also set up child and women-friendly spaces where evacuees may join psychosocial activities.
The Bayanihan Village has common comfort rooms and lavatories, while each MSU is equipped with electricity, lighting, and windows for proper ventilation.
Similar Bayanihan Villages are being established in Daanbantayan, Cebu, and in Tarragona, Davao Oriental which was jolted by doublet earthquakes last Oct. 10.
At least 150 MSUs are being eyed for displaced families in the three hardest-hit areas in Cebu, namely Daanbantayan, San Remigio, and Bogo City.
The Chief Executive also assured sustained relief and assistance to the affected families as they recover and until their lives return to normalcy.
“Basta’t may pangangailangan, nandyan ang pamahalaan. Kagaya ng nasabi ko noong last time ako nandito, hindi ito naman minsanan lang. Patuloy pa ito kung ano pa ang pangangailangan,” he underscored.
“Lahat ng tao na naging biktima ay mayroon [nang] sinisilungan, mayroon silang kinakain, mayroon silang kinukuhanan ng tubig, mayroon silang ginagamit na toilet facilities na maayos. At lahat pa, kung ano pa ang pangangailangan, going forward ay nakapagbigay na rin,” he added.
Before the President’s arrival, DSWD distributed family food packs, hygiene kits, as well as P10,125 and P5,250 financial aid to each family with totally and partially damaged homes, respectively. The agency’s mobile kitchen likewise continues to provide hot meals for the evacuees.
