TACLOBAN CITY – Despite grappling with the twin impacts of Typhoon ‘Opong’ and tremors felt across the region, Eastern Visayas has mobilized about 90 responders to assist earthquake-hit Bogo City in Cebu province.
The deployment, carried out Thursday, Oct.2, came after a 6.9-magnitude quake struck Bogo and nearby areas on September 30, leaving casualties, damaged infrastructure, and disrupted services.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) requested augmentation from Region 8 due to the city’s urgent needs.
Office of Civil Defense (OCD) regional director Lord Byron Torrecarion, who also chairs the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC), said the Eastern Visayas contingent was sent on a humanitarian mission to provide essential aid.
“It’s more of a sustained mission. We will help our kababayan in Bogo address their immediate needs, particularly food and water,” Torrecarion told reporters in a press briefing.
The responders include police officers, soldiers, firefighters, and personnel from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the city government of Ormoc, among others. They brought with them heavy equipment, water filtration systems, and a mobile kitchen capable of serving at least 500 meals at a time.
Torrecarion emphasized that the team will stay in Cebu “as long as we are requested,” noting that Eastern Visayas’ proximity allows for rapid deployment despite the region’s own recovery efforts from Opong, which left 14 dead and caused significant damage.
Police Regional Director Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy said the operation also highlights the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) role in disaster response.
“Our participation underscores our commitment to work closely with government agencies and stakeholders to safeguard the people of Cebu and the affected areas. This joint effort affirms our unity and shared responsibility in responding to disasters,” Capoy said in a statement.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
