News Tent City rises

Bogo City Vice Mayor Carlos Jose Martinez said priority will also be given to families whose homes were permanently damaged and to those living along the Bay Fault Line, who will be forcibly evacuated for their safety.

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“We will start with those families na permanently yung bahay nila na damage talaga,” he said.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the property designated for the tent city in Barangay Cogon covers 20 hectares, but only six to seven hectares will initially be utilized. He added that the first 500 tents will be completed within the next two days. “It will take time to rebuild. So, in the meantime, we really have to provide this for them na kompleto na,” said Dizon.

PRC Chairman Richard J. Gordon, Secretary General Gwen Pang, and Secretary Dizon flew to Cebu to oversee the joint humanitarian mission. “We work together for the good of the Filipino people. That is how it should be—kusang loob, malasakit, at kapwa-tao,” Gordon said during the site visit.

Government agencies and humanitarian partners are working closely to clear and prepare the site within two days. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), National Electrification Administration (NEA), and Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) are spearheading the effort.

The PRC is taking the lead in planning, while the DPWH is handling infrastructure setup. DSWD regional officials confirmed that displaced families will start moving in tonight. The immediate priority is to provide access to water and electricity.

The PRC and DSWD will supply water tanks, while the NEA is preparing charging stations and coordinating with the local water district. Around 50 portalets and shower facilities are also expected to arrive on site at 2 p.m. today.

Security inside the tent city will be handled by the Philippine National Police (PNP), with augmentation from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), as coordinated by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).