Baricuatro advances crisis leadership, disaster readiness to protect Cebu communities

CEBU CITY – Cebu governor Pamela Baricuaro pushes for crisis leadership reinforcing a governance approach centered on preparedness, rapid response, and coordinated action ensuring that every Cebuano is protected before, during, and after disasters.

Baricuatro placed disaster readiness at the core of provincial leadership, shifting from reactive emergency measures to a proactive, data-driven strategy designed to minimize risk, safeguard lives, and accelerate recovery.

“Our duty is to make sure Cebu is ready not only to withstand crises, but to emerge stronger from them,” Baricuatro said, adding that disaster preparedness is ultimately about protecting livelihoods, sustaining economic activity, and ensuring that families can recover quickly and with dignity.

As climate risks intensify across the region, Cebu Province continues to strengthen its systems, partnerships, and leadership to safeguard communities and build a culture of preparedness that endures beyond any single storm as Cebu continues to face the realities of stronger typhoons and floods.

“Disasters should never catch us unprepared. Our responsibility is to anticipate, act early, and stand with our communities every step of the way,” the governor said.

Baricuatro has directed the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) to strengthen its use of real-time weather intelligence, hazard mapping, and predictive data analysis to guide early warnings and pre-emptive evacuations in high-risk areas.

She bared that local governments are now equipped with clearer protocols, faster information flows, and synchronized response systems ensuring that decisions are made based on science, not urgency alone.  This shift enables Cebu to move critical resources ahead of landfall, reduce exposure in vulnerable communities, and avoid the delays that historically complicated disaster response.

The governor has prioritized seamless coordination among LGUs, national agencies, and uniformed services, creating an integrated response network that activates even before severe weather hits.  Joint planning and regular inter-agency simulations now align provincial teams with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Coast Guard, and national disaster authorities allowing rescue, relief, and clearing operations to begin immediately when needed.

“The goal is simple: no duplication, no confusion, just unified action.” Baricuatro maintained a hands-on presence during severe weather events, personally overseeing emergency operations, monitoring evacuation readiness, and ensuring that frontline responders receive the logistical support required to act swiftly.

Political observers said that her leadership model emphasizes clarity, calm decision-making, and direct engagement with affected communities strengthening public confidence during uncertain moments.

Beyond emergency response, the provincial government is investing in long-term resilience measures, including strengthened early warning systems across municipalities; pre-positioning of relief supplies and emergency equipment; Climate-resilient infrastructure planning in coordination with national agencies; capacity-building programs for barangay-level disaster response teams and continuous risk assessment to guide land-use and development decisions.

These initiatives aim not only to respond to disasters but to reduce their impact over time as climate patterns evolve for a safer, more prepared Cebu. (Photos: Capitol PIO)

 

 

DSWD-7 disburses over P1.981 billion in relief assistance to disaster victims in Cebu in 2025

CEBU—In estimated summary, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Regional Field Office VII has already disbursed over PPH 1.981 billion to about 1,074,543 million beneficiaries as of December 8, 2025, composed of families and individuals who were victims of the 6.9 magnitude earthquake, typhoons Tino and Verbena and other disasters and calamities that hit Cebu this year.  

DSWD-7 regional director Shalaine Marie Lucero, in a Media Year-end Briefing and Pasalamat event on December 9 at Golden Hotel & Suites, bared that DSWD-7 delivered these vital humanitarian services, from hot meals and food packs to cash assistance, for families and individuals affected by recent disasters across Central Visayas.

“These are multi-faceted response operations for immediate relief, temporary shelter assistance, and psychosocial services in coordination with local government units (LGUs) and inter-agency partners in the region,” Lucero said. 

The amount disbursed are for family food packs, family and modular tents, Hygiene Kits, Family Kits, Clothing Kits, Kitchen Kits, and other essential relief items. They also included emergency cash assistance transfers, cash assistance and disbursements for burial and other services, including purchases of Mobile Kitchen meals, Lucero bared.

Lucero added that DSWD-7 has also deployed key response vehicles to support operations for the 6.9-magnitude earthquake and Typhoon Tino. The Mobile Command Center facilitated field coordination, while the Water Tanker Unit and Water Filtration System ensured clean and safe water for affected communities.

Lucero also said the DSWD field offices in regions 6, 8, 4A, 10, 11 and NCR augmented its Mobile Kitchens, serving hot meals to displaced families. For the earthquake response, a total of 178,117 meals costing ₱7,124,680.00 were distributed, while 65,213 meals costing ₱2,608,520.00 were served during Typhoon Tino operations.  “To sustain meal production, 107 DOLE TUPAD workers were hired as cooks,” Lucero shared.

Lessons learned, challenges faced in DSWD’s humanitarian services

At the “Kukabildo with RD SHA,” Lucero stressed the importance of strategically prepositioning goods across the country to ensure readiness during stronger typhoons and unpredictable weather disturbances, with priority given to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, including island and coastal regions, to ensure initial supply of relief goods before disasters.

The prepositioning of goods helps mitigate the impact of impossible bridges, congested roads, and isolated ports during disaster response, “The need for immediate availability of goods during disaster response, is very crucial, especially when local government units (LGUs) lack sufficient resources,” Lucero said.

Evidenced or data-based disaster planning is a must in disaster response, Lucero noted that targeting families and individuals who are victims of calamities and disasters for government relief and assistance become easier an efficient when demographic/planning tools are in place.

“The biggest challenge we face in our humanitarian work is the politics in our country.  The changes in the national and local executive’s leadership hamper the continuity of our services and inter-agency collaborations that have been in placed through the years,” Lucero said.

However, Lucero admitted that no matter how the political system in the country behaves, the DSWD has managed to professionalize and put into a nationwide humanitarian system that has been proven to work efficiently and effectively in the delivery of the department’s various programs, services and assistance to alleviate poverty in the country. (Photos: MBCNewman)