The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), in partnership with the local government and several national agencies, has turned over the Bayanihan Village, a temporary shelter community built for families displaced by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck northern Cebu on September 30, 2025.
Following its initial turnover on October 16, 2025, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7) officially took over the management of the site as an evacuation camp until affected families can transition to more permanent and safer housing.
The Bayanihan Village is an inter-agency initiative spearheaded by the DHSUD in collaboration with the DSWD, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Office of Civil Defense (OCD), and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of San Remigio.
Through the joint efforts of these agencies, 45 out of 67 prefabricated modular shelter units have been installed at the new public market site in Barangay Poblacion, beside the existing DSWD evacuation camp.
The temporary shelters will house families whose homes were either totally damaged or are located in no-build zones, including areas above fault lines and identified sinkholes.
DHSUD officials hailed the completion of the Bayanihan Village as a ‘milestone accomplishment,’ noting that it was completed within a short period, marking the agency’s first-of-its-kind initiative to support disaster-stricken communities in the region.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian and DSWD-7 Director Shalaine Marie S. Lucero personally visited the Bayanihan Village to inspect the site and meet with internally displaced families.
San Remigio Mayor Mariano R. Martinez expressed his gratitude to the participating government agencies for their swift action and coordinated efforts.
‘It is better to put our trust and confidence in the government agencies to aid us so that we can see efficient and effective results for our people,’ said Martinez in a statement released by the DSWD-7.
With DSWD-7 now leading camp management, Lucero appealed for continued cooperation among the internally displaced persons (IDPs) to ensure peace and order within the camp.
‘Gisiguro sa DSWD nga kini nga temporaryong kapuy-an disente ug mapahilona ang atong mga apektadong residente. Alang sa kadtong mga wala ma-apil sa Bayanihan Village, aduna pud kita’y gi-provide nga mga Family Tents nga hapsay ug angay kapuy-an. Amo lang hangyo nga mosunod kita sa pamalaod sa atong mga evacuation camps aron hapsay ang atong pagpuyo sulod sa mga camps,’ Lucero said.
Each transferred family received bunk beds and electric fans from the DHSUD, while the DSWD distributed two rounds of Family Food Packs and one hygiene kit per household in the days immediately following the earthquake.