The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) deployed an 18-man contingent to Cebu on Wednesday night, Oct. 1, following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the province.
The team coordinated with the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to assess urgent needs on the ground.
MMDA Chairman Don Artes said the contingent is composed of personnel from the Public Safety Division and the Road Emergency Group. They are tasked with assisting affected residents and supporting relief and recovery efforts.
‘The team will clear debris on roads that impede mobility and accessibility,’ Artes said in an official statement posted on Facebook Thursday.
K-9 units trained for search and rescue were also deployed to help locate survivors trapped under debris.
The contingent carried solar-powered water purifiers, life locators, extrication tools, trauma kits, and clearing equipment such as chainsaws and dump trucks.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard deployed a K-9 unit and delivered medical equipment and relief packs by ship, including a portable water desalinator in Bogo City capable of producing up to 20,000 liters of drinking water daily after the city’s pipeline was damaged.
These efforts were carried out in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to mobilize resources and provide immediate aid.