The Office of the Vice President (OVP) on Thursday sustained relief operations in Cebu following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Bogo City on Tuesday.
The OVP distributed food packs, potable water, hygiene kits, and other non-food essentials to affected families in Medellin, San Remigio, Bogo, Tabuelan, and Tabogon.
As of 1 p.m. on Thursday, 2 October, the OVP had delivered 2,000 relief boxes, 3,100 boxes of Relief for Indigents and Individuals in Crises and Emergencies assistance, and 1,500 kilograms of rice to earthquake-hit households.
Relief efforts will continue in the coming days as the OVP mobilizes additional resources and works closely with local government partners to support recovery operations.
Vice President Sara Duterte arrived in Cebu on Wednesday afternoon to personally extend her sympathies to residents and meet with local officials, assuring them of sustained assistance from her office.
“We ask God to grant comfort to those who have lost loved ones, and to provide relief and strength to families holding together amid property loss and damage,” Duterte said.
She also directed the OVP’s satellite offices in the Panay-Negros Islands and Eastern Visayas to augment relief operations should the need for additional manpower and supplies arise.
Through close coordination with local government units and community partners, the OVP seeks to ensure that essential aid reaches as many families as possible, particularly in remote and heavily affected barangays.
The strong earthquake had a depth of 5 km and was tectonic in origin, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
Phivolcs also reported that a magnitude 5 aftershock hit Bogo City on Wednesday night. It had a depth of 10 kilometers.
The reported death toll from the devastating earthquake has risen to 72, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.