The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has begun turning over modular shelter units (MSUs) to the local government of San Remigio, Cebu, marking the completion of the first “Bayanihan Village” for families affected by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake on September 30. Located in Barangay Poblacion, the village will provide temporary housing for residents who lost their homes, built collaboratively by government agencies and the private sector in just seven days.
DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling highlighted the project’s significance, stating, “Ang utos ng Pangulong [Ferdinand R.] Marcos Jr. ay bigyan ng mas komportable at ligtas na masisilungan ang ating mga kababayan, kaya po nagtulung-tulong ang ibat-ibang ahensiya ng gobyerno para agad na mabuo ang Bayanihan Village na ito (President Marcos Jr. has ordered that our fellow Filipinos be provided with more comfortable and safer shelters. That’s why various government agencies worked together to quickly build this Bayanihan Village).” He praised the inter-agency effort as a model of the Marcos administration’s approach to disaster response, with each cluster of shelters featuring shared comfort rooms, lavatories, electricity, lighting, and ventilation.
Under the turnover agreement, the San Remigio local government will identify beneficiaries and manage the village’s maintenance. The initiative involved partnerships with the Department of Public Works and Highways for site development, the Department of Social Welfare and Development for facility management, and support from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Philippine Coast Guard, Office of Civil Defense, and two private companies for transport and installation.
Similar Bayanihan Villages are underway in Daanbantayan, Cebu, and Tarragona, Davao Oriental, to assist other earthquake-affected areas, demonstrating ongoing government efforts to provide safe housing and aid recovery.