Siquijor sends P2.5M-aid to earthquake-hit northern Cebu
Published Oct 16, 2025 05:42 pm
SIQUIJOR Gov. Jake Vincent Villa (second from right) leads the delivery of relief aid to Bogo City and other areas in northern Cebu province badly hit by the Sept. 30 earthquake. (Contributed photo)
CEBU CITY – The country’s third smallest province showed that heart matters more than size.
The provincial government of Siquijor rushed to aid earthquake-affected areas in northern Cebu province, delivering P2.5-million worth of relief assistance following the Sept. 30 earthquake.
Gov. Jake Vincent Villa personally led the response effort, which began with a Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) emergency meeting on Oct. 2 to finalize the province's response plan.
At 9 p.m. on Oct. 4, a team of 13 responders arrived at Bogo City Hall, led by PDRRMO OIC Blezela Omictin, for a 10-day mission.
"When disaster strikes, we don't measure our capacity to help by the size of our province. We measure it by the size of our hearts," said Villa.
The relief effort wasn't just a government initiative. Ordinary Siquijodnons came together to help their neighbors in Cebu.
Families donated bottled water, canned goods, and rice from their own homes. These personal contributions from everyday citizens joined the official provincial relief package, turning the response into a true community effort.
The assistance package included immediate relief items such as drinking water, canned goods, and rice, ensuring families had access to basic necessities while recovering from the disaster.
Two water trucks, each with a 2,000-liter capacity, were deployed to provide water for bathing and laundry in areas where water supply had been disrupted.
Medical assistance followed shortly after, with medicines and vitamins arriving on Oct. 11. These were officially turned over to Board Member Stanley Caminero and Dr. Kevin Basco, the appointed Incident Commander at Bogo Hospital.
Villa personally visited the affected areas to assess the situation on the ground and identify what additional support Siquijor could provide.
Siquijor's relief operations reached multiple communities across six municipalities in northern Cebu: Bogo City – Poblacion; Medellin – Barangay Antipolo, Barangay Panugnawan, and Poblacion; San Remegio – Poblacion; Tabogon – Barangay Caduawan; Sogod – Barangay Liki; and Daanbantayan – Barangay Talisay.
"Northern Cebu needed help, and Siquijor answered. That's what neighbors do. That's what family does," said Villa.