Volunteers sign up as aid heads north

The first thing that greets travelers heading into Bogo City are not just the trucks filled with aid, but the handwritten signs on cardboard: "We need help. Foods and water.

- Avie Villa and Kristin de Dios/BRP

They hang on gates, stand propped against debris, or are held up by weary residents, a sobering reminder of how desperate the situation remains in northern Cebu after the powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake.

Alongside these pleas is the steady movement of trucks --big and small--making their way toward ground zero.

Loaded with sacks of rice, bottled water, and relief packs, they represent more than just cargo. Each vehicle is a lifeline for families who have been displaced and now rely on outside assistance for survival.

On the main street of Bogo, a long queue formed for the 600 food packs being distributed by the First Community Cooperative (FICCO).

People waited patiently under the heat.

"With the collaboration of everyone, we hope more will extend help sincerely from the heart, so recovery will be faster for our fellow Filipinos," FICCO's general manager emphasized.

Capitol public information officer Ainjeliz Dela Torre Orong echoed the call.

"We still need more to be given to the towns. We truly appreciate the volunteers, especially the youth. Their energy and commitment are invaluable right now," she said.

During his visit to Cebu, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. acknowledged the groundswell of volunteerism.

"I noticed noong umiikot ako gaano karami ang volunteer na nandito," he said.

He noted how hospitals were filled with doctors, nurses, and medical technologists tirelessly attending to the injured, but emphasized that what struck him most were the ordinary citizens who chose to step in and help.

"Yung volunteers hindi nila kailangan pumunta dito, kagandahan lang ng loob nila kaya kailangan nating pasalamat natin silang lahat," he stressed.

He added that the response once again demonstrated the Filipino spirit of Bayanihan.

VOLUNTEERS