Following a direct order from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to ensure immediate and full government support for typhoon victims, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has rapidly deployed its heavy equipment and personnel to expedite recovery efforts in areas of Cebu Province severely affected by Typhoon Tino.
Public Works Secretary Dizon, who visited Cebu City this week, confirmed that the agency is fully committed to providing the necessary assistance to local government units and residents.
“The President’s directive is clear: whatever is needed, give it to the mayors. We will provide everything. All equipment that is here in Cebu is at their disposal now. Any district, as long as what is needed, they just ask for it and the DPWH will provide it,” Secretary Dizon stated.
The Secretary has ordered the DPWH Central Visayas Office to immediately deploy heavy equipment, including backhoes and dump trucks, and dedicated personnel. The primary mission involves comprehensive clearing and declogging operations across heavily affected areas.
The dual focus of the operations is to clear roads to ease traffic flow and, most critically, expedite the delivery of relief goods and medical assistance to stranded residents. Declogging operations have also commenced to remove mud and debris from drainages that overflowed due to heavy rainfall and swollen rivers.
Secretary Dizon’s visit included direct inspections of the devastation near the Mananga River in Talisay, where over 3,000 families were affected, and Mandaue City, which saw approximately 5,000 affected families, underscoring the urgency of the department’s response.
