The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Monday turned over forfeited tents, mobile power supplies, and other goods to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) as part of relief efforts for earthquake-hit Cebu, BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said.
According to the BOC, the forfeited items include 1,087 assorted tents, 56 Rapid Emergency Tents, 50 mobile power supplies, and one bio-toilet unit.
BOC officials also donated over 100 sacks of rice.
During the turnover ceremony at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City, Nepomuceno said the donations are expected to arrive in Cebu around 11:30 a.m. on Monday.
‘What we did was share what we could with our fellow Filipinos from the BOC, as instructed by President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. to do everything possible to help and provide assistance to our countrymen who are still trying to recover from the earthquake,’ Nepomuceno said in a media interview.
Nepomuceno also said the BOC had originally planned to auction the forfeited goods but chose to coordinate with the OCD to deliver the relief aid to affected residents.
The BOC said the items mostly came from the Manila International Container Port and underwent customs procedures and clearance before being turned over to the OCD.
Nepomuceno said OCD Region 7 will manage the donations and ensure their delivery to the provincial government of Cebu.
‘This is our direct donation through the Office of Civil Defense because I used to work at the OCD, and I know they have the capability to deliver this to our fellow Filipinos,’ he added.
He also said the BOC will release a second batch of donations, consisting of forfeited construction materials, to help rebuild the homes of thousands of affected residents.
According to the latest report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), a total of 155,094 families, or 547,394 individuals, were affected by the earthquake.
The NDRRMC also reported that 35,925 houses were damaged in Central Visayas.
Recovery efforts
OCD Administrator Harold Cabreros said recovery efforts are ongoing in the province, with tents being set up as temporary shelters.
He added that private sector groups willing to help may donate tents, food, and water.
‘Their specific needs, first and foremost, are tents because many houses were damaged. Also, due to the trauma from the earthquake, people are still afraid, especially with the ongoing aftershocks,’ Cabreros said.
‘There are houses, but people are reluctant to sleep in them, so at night they go outside. That’s why they also need tents, aside from those whose houses were destroyed,’ he added.
He also said that international organizations wishing to donate may coordinate with the OCD, which will facilitate the turnover to the provincial government of Cebu./mcm