The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is expediting the construction of the second Bayanihan Village in Daanbantayan, Cebu, to provide shelter for families displaced by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the province on 30 September.
The move follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order to deliver immediate assistance to affected communities. The DHSUD aims to replicate the rapid construction of the first Bayanihan Village in Barangay Poblacion, San Remigio, which was completed in just one week through the combined efforts of national and local government agencies.
“Even before we turned over the Bayanihan Village in San Remigio, we had already begun building other Bayanihan Villages,” DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said. “We are speeding up construction because that is the directive of President Marcos — quick action and immediate help for our people.”
The first Bayanihan Village in San Remigio has been turned over to the local government and is now occupied by the initial batch of beneficiaries. The modular shelter units (MSUs) offer quake victims safe, temporary housing as rehabilitation efforts continue.
“In the coming weeks, earthquake victims in the town of Daanbantayan will also have safer and more durable shelters,” Aliling said, noting that the agency is targeting completion of the second site within weeks.
After accompanying the President during his inspection of the San Remigio site, Aliling proceeded to Barangay Pajo in Daanbantayan to assess progress on the second Bayanihan Village.
The DHSUD said the site has been prepared in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways, and installation of the modular shelters is already underway.
“Through our Regional Office 7, we are working closely with the Daanbantayan local government to fast-track the completion of the Bayanihan Village in line with the President’s directive,” Aliling said.
The Bayanihan Village initiative is part of the government’s broader post-disaster recovery program aimed at strengthening housing resilience and supporting local economies through rapid shelter deployment.
Each village is designed to serve as temporary but safe housing while long-term reconstruction takes place.
The DHSUD said the modular design of the shelters allows for quick assembly and mobility, enabling the government to respond faster to future disasters.
The approach is intended not only to provide immediate relief but also to reinforce the administration’s strategy of building disaster-resilient communities across the country.