The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has directed its field office in Central Visayas to increase its coordination with local government units (LGUs) following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of Cebu on Tuesday night, resulting in at least 26 deaths.
‘Our disaster quick response teams (QRTs) at the Central and Field Offices are on alert and have already reached out to the LGUs to assist the affected families,’ DSWD chief Rex Gatchalian said in a statement on Wednesday morning.
‘We know that our fellow Filipinos who had been affected are in need of urgent assistance,’ the secretary added.
He likewise said that food and non-food relief supplies are already on standby for distribution to the affected LGUs.
To date, Gatchalian disclosed that the agency maintains P379 million in standby funds and has 2.4 million boxes of family food packs (FFPs) for affected communities.
‘Yesterday, we were already on alert as we are preparing for an approaching low-pressure area that may enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility. And disaster operations for ‘Opong’ are still ongoing, so our DSWD QRTs have already been on high alert,’ he noted.
‘We will ensure that all hands are on deck to help with the victims of the earthquake,’ he added.
DSWD Field Offices are also monitoring areas affected by the earthquake with the coordination of their LGUs for possible assistance.
Based on reports, the quake had damaged heritage churches and other structures and knocked out power in parts of the central Philippines.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) initially measured the quake at magnitude 6.7 before upgrading it to 6.9.
It occurred at 9:59 p.m., with the epicenter located 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, Cebu, at a shallow depth of 5 kilometers. The U.S. Geological Survey initially recorded a magnitude 7.0 before revising it downward.
Authorities on Wednesday said the death toll has risen to at least 26, with more fatalities feared as rescue operations continue.