The government has started deploying modular shelter units (MSUs) in earthquake-hit areas of Davao Oriental and Cebu to provide temporary housing for thousands of displaced families.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) said it is working with local government units and national agencies to establish Bayanihan Villages, where the modular shelters will be set up for victims of the magnitude 7.5 quake that struck Davao Oriental last Friday, 10 October, and the magnitude 6.9 tremor that hit Cebu on 30 September.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said teams from the central and regional offices have been mobilized to determine the specific needs of affected local governments.

“The construction of Bayanihan Villages was ordered by President Marcos to immediately help our countrymen displaced by the earthquake,” Aliling said. “The President has directed the full force of government to deliver all possible assistance to those affected in Davao.”

He added that the DHSUD is coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DoH), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and other agencies to ensure a unified response.

“The President’s goal is for our people to recover quickly from the disaster. All government agencies, along with the private sector, are working together to make that happen,” he said.

Deployment in Cebu

The DHSUD began establishing Bayanihan Villages last Friday in four areas of Cebu — Bogo City, and the towns of Daanbantayan, San Remigio, and Medellin — which were among those hardest hit by the 30 September earthquake.

The shelters will house families whose homes were destroyed or who remain afraid to return because of aftershocks.

In San Remigio, several modular units have already been installed on land provided by the local government for the Bayanihan Village site.

Following an assessment by DHSUD engineers, the department began transporting prefabricated housing units to the affected towns, in coordination with local governments and the DSWD.

“In line with the directive of President Marcos, the DHSUD immediately sent modular shelters for quake victims who lost their homes or are still afraid to return,” Aliling said. “We hope these units will ease their burden and offer them safety and comfort.”

Days after the quake, Aliling dispatched Undersecretaries Ed Robles and Ramon Quintin Allado, and Assistant Secretary Hernando Caraig Jr., to Cebu to assess ground conditions. “Based on their findings, the most urgent need was safe and livable shelter, so we deployed the MSUs right away,” he added.

Regional operations

In a separate statement, DHSUD Central Visayas Director Eva Marfil said 54 prefabricated units have been delivered to San Remigio as part of the first phase of the response.

“In coordination with the DSWD-7, these housing units will serve as temporary shelters for families whose homes were severely damaged,” Marfil told the DAILY TRIBUNE and DYLA Cebu.

The San Remigio local government provided a 4,800-square-meter lot for the site, equipped with access to a nearby water tank and coordinated electricity supply.

Mayor Mariano Martinez, who inspected the area on Sunday, said the project aims to rebuild both homes and community morale. “This effort is not just about housing — it’s about restoring hope and resilience among our residents,” he said.

According to Marfil, an additional 13 units are being prepared for San Remigio, while Daanbantayan will receive 60, and Bogo City will get four units to be used as a Philippine Red Cross operations office and support facility. Medellin, meanwhile, already operates a “Tent City” to accommodate displaced residents.

Apart from the modular housing deployment, Aliling ordered the Pag-IBIG Fund, Social Housing Finance Corporation, National Housing Authority and National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation to suspend housing amortization payments in earthquake-hit Cebu and in the Bicol Region, which was recently battered by typhoons “Nando” and “Opong.”