President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday visited evacuation centers in Cebu to personally oversee relief efforts and distribute assistance to families affected by Typhoon Tino, as the government assured that sufficient aid is available for all displaced residents.
President Marcos first visited the Tiltilon Elementary School in Barangay Cotcot, Liloan, one of the areas hardest hit by the typhoon. The school is serving as an evacuation center for 126 families, or 509 individuals.
He distributed family food packs, health kits, hygiene kits, and sleeping kits from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), while hot meals were also provided to evacuees.
The Department of Health (DOH)–Central Visayas conducted a rapid health assessment at the site to ensure the well-being of evacuees.
DOH Development Management Officer Rolly Villarin said the department is providing free medical consultations, essential medicines, and vaccines, including anti-tetanus shots and doxycycline for leptospirosis prevention.
Villarin stated that routine vaccinations for children are being administered, while health workers are monitoring the condition of pregnant and nursing mothers to ensure adequate nutrition.
A Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) assessment is also ongoing to guarantee safe water supply in the centers.
After visiting Liloan, President Marcos proceeded to the Talisay Sports Academy in Talisay City, which currently shelters 276 families, or 1,110 individuals.
He also inspected the nearby Mananga Bridge, which sustained damage from flooding. One lane of the bridge remains impassable due to cracks and erosion, according to initial reports.
Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro showed President Marcos the scale of destruction along the Mananga River in Talisay City, one of the areas in Metro Cebu that was ravaged by floodwaters from Typhoon Tino. Hundreds of homes were wiped out by flash floods.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon, who joined the President, earlier announced they will investigate the flood control projects throughout Cebu, which failed to protect communities from the tropical cyclone.
President Marcos earlier gave assurance that the national government will not leave the Cebuanos behind, as they come to terms with another largescale calamity following a deadly earthquake last September.
“Hindi namin iiwanan ang Cebu hangga’t lahat na ay in place na (We will not leave Cebu until everything is in place,” he told reporters on Thursday after leading a post-typhoon situation briefing in Camp Aguinaldo.
President Marcos issued the statement as government agencies prepare for another typhoon, which weather forecasters warned has the potential to develop into a super typhoon. He also placed the entire country under a state of calamity in light of recent disasters.
He reiterated the same commitment to the Cebuanos on Friday, saying “we will be helping the families of the casualties. We will help them to recover, put them back on their feet, and we will do what we can to make up for the loss that we have suffered.”
“I made the same promise to Cebu, your governor and your mayor, that as long as the national government is needed, we will be here. We are not leaving hangga’t maayos na ang inyong mga buhay at hindi niyo na kami kailangan para sa mga tulong na dinadala namin (until your lives get back in order and you longer need our assistance),” President Marcos emphasized.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, who also joined the President during the visit, assured that food and relief aid remain sufficient for all affected residents in Cebu province.
“Our supply is more than enough. We have a repacking center in Cebu that continues to operate. There is already a stockpile but repacking continues uninterrupted,” Gatchalian said.
The DSWD has so far distributed 69,000 family food packs to various local government units (LGUs), including Cebu City, Mandaue, and Talisay, the areas most affected by Typhoon Tino. The agency targets to deliver 200,000 food packs to LGUs by Saturday.
Aside from food assistance, the DSWD will provide cash aid to families with totally or partially damaged homes, depending on the results of its ongoing assessment.
Also with the President during his visit were Secretaries Teodoro Herbosa (Health), Jose Ramon Aliling (Human Settlements and urban Development), Christina Frasco (Tourism), and Cebu 5th District Rep. Duke Frasco, among other local and national government officials.
