DSWD ready to send 443k food packs after magnitude 5.1 quake in Bogo City

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday said it is ready to deploy more than 443,000 family food packs (FFPs) to Cebu and other nearby provinces following the magnitude 5.1 tremor that hit Bogo City on Monday afternoon.

In a statement, DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG) said the DSWD Field Office (FO) 7 – Central Visayas is coordinating with local government units (LGUs) affected by the tremor.

“We are ready to provide augmentation assistance and preposition relief goods, as the PHIVOLCS (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) has confirmed that aftershocks are expected,” Dulmao said.

She added that the agency is prepared to help LGUs conduct rapid damage and needs assessments in affected areas should the need arise.

“All our regional offices in the Visayas are on standby to respond immediately if needed. The DSWD’s disaster response assets including the mobile command centers (MCC), mobile kitchens, and mobile water system are also ready for deployment if necessary,” Dumlao said.

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Bogo City, Cebu on Monday afternoon and was confirmed to be an aftershock of the September 30, 2025 magnitude 6.9 earthquake that also hit Bogo City.

PHIVOLCS said the two earthquakes had the same epicenter. The 2025 earthquake caused massive damage across the province.

State seismologists warned Cebu residents to be on alert for aftershocks from Monday’s tremor. Dumlao made the same appeal.

“We urge all Cebuanos to remain vigilant and alert for possible aftershocks. Please cooperate with your respective local government units to ensure your safety at all times,” she said.

In February, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian inaugurated the mechanized production system (MPS) of the DSWD’s Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Mandaue City, which boosted its daily production capacity for relief goods.

The VDRC has five new MPS lines equipped with automatic vacuum packaging technology, which allow for an additional 20,000 FFPs per eight-hour shift or a total 30,000 FFPs per cycle. — JMA, GMA News