President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ordered various government agencies to mobilize and provide immediate aid to communities affected by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit Cebu on Tuesday night. 

Following the President’s order, the Department of Health (DOH) swiftly assessed its personnel closest to the area, according to the Presidential Communications Office. 

The doctors, nurses, and staff of the DOH Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) and the DOH Cebu South Medical Center (CSMC) have reported back on their safety. They are deploying medical teams to nearby areas, especially in Bogo City. 

For its part, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 7 Central Visayas already intensified coordination with the affected LGUs to provide resource augmentation and address the needs of their constituents.

At present, the DSWD has P379 million in standby funds and has 2.4 million boxes of family food packs (FFPs) prepositioned nationwide. 

According to DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, around 300,000 family food packs spread all over Cebu are ready for immediate use.