The Philippine Red Cross will set up a ‘tent city’ to serve as a community for families whose houses were destroyed in the powerful earthquake in northern Cebu, the PRC said yesterday.
According to the PRC, the tent city would include a medical tent, where health services will be made available, a community kitchen and bathing areas.
At least 60 of the planned 2,500 tents were already assembled and ready for use in Barangay Cogon, Bogo City, with each tent accommodating at least five family members.
‘There is a plan to assemble additional tents, but it depends if the government is able to identify available space,’ the PRC said, noting that at least 2,200 families were displaced and are in urgent need of shelter in various localities.
Pope Leo XIV, who visited Cebu thrice in the past when he was still the prior general of the Order of Saint Augustine, expressed on Sunday his closeness with Filipinos and mentioned for the second time his prayers for the victims of the 6.9-magnitude earthquake.
According to CBCPNews, the 70-year-old pope said during his Angelus in St. Peter’s Square: ‘I express my closeness to the dear Filipino people and in particular I pray for those who are most severely affected by the consequences of the earthquake.’
Meanwhile, Baguio City and Negros Occidental each approved P2 million in financial assistance to affected local government units.
‘Baguio City stands with our fellow Filipinos in Cebu during this hard time. We hope this aid helps them recover and rebuild,’ Mayor Benjamin Magalong said after asking the city council to release P500,000 each to Bogo City and the towns of San Remigio, Medellin and Daanbantayan.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Negros Occidental is giving P2 million to Bogo, its adopted city. Last week, the One Negros Response Team was dispatched to help in the relief and rescue efforts.
The Bangsamoro government and Lamitan City also shipped 20 tons of relief goods, which include 445 bags of plasma, modular tents, hygiene and sleeping kits as well as water containers, BARMM Chief Minister Abdulrauf Macacua said.
At least five private hospitals in Cebu City were given provisional accreditation by PhilHealth so they can attend to the needs of orthopedic patients, the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. said yesterday.
PHAPI president Dr. Jose Rene De Grano said the temporary accreditation would allow those who suffered fractures to seek services from Perpetual Succour Hospital, University of Cebu Medical Center, Cebu Doctors’ University and Chong Hua Hospital.
Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism said Cebu, especially the central and southern parts, remains open for tourists and visitors, noting that the Mactan-Cebu International Airport and seaports ‘are operating normally, allowing visitors to arrive and depart without disruptions.’
DOLE shuts down Cebu BPO
After the devastating quake, the Department of Labor and Employment ordered the closure of a business process outsourcing (BPO) firm in Cebu ‘due to imminent danger to the lives of employees,’ the DOLE said yesterday.
‘The company is mandated to cease and desist from its operations until all unsafe conditions and unsafe acts exposing workers to imminent danger shall have been addressed or abated and/or all other violations cited shall have been corrected,’ the DOLE said in the order.
The DOLE withheld the name of the company, but warned that it would be meted a daily penalty of P100,000 if it fails to submit the required corrections.
Initial investigation showed that the BPO firm has no established emergency and disaster preparedness and response plans under its occupational health and safety program.