DSWD completes first wave of food aid distribution in quake-hit northern Cebu

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has completed the first wave of distribution and dispatch of 216,000 family food packs (FFPs) to earthquake-hit areas in northern Cebu—just three days after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s visit to the province.

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“We are pleased to inform everybody that as of last night, we have fully complied, served, and dispatched 216,000 family food packs after three days. That’s one of the fastest and largest deployments of family food packs done by DSWD,” said DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian.

Gatchalian visited yesterday the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Barangay Tingub, Mandaue City, where the food packs are produced.

He said the large-scale deployment covered the 12 earthquake-affected towns in northern Cebu.

The initiative was carried out in coordination with local chief executives and Governor Pamela Baricuatro, following a high-level meeting with President Marcos Jr. during his visit to Bogo City, the quake’s epicenter, on October 2, 2025.

Gatchalian said that while the DSWD handled the preparation and delivery of the food packs, local government units (LGUs) took charge of the “last mile” of distribution since they know their communities best.

“The national government will augment their capacity, ibibigay sa local government units yung mga food packs. Because they know their constituents and the terrain better, sila yung magdi-distribute all the way to the households,” he said.