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Three mobile kitchen units from another Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Offices have been deployed to northern Cebu to help augment food support operations for families affected by the recent 6.9-magnitude earthquake.

The DSWD Field Office IVA – CALABARZON’s augmented Mobile Kitchen has started preparing its first meal provision for earthquake-affected families in Medellin, Cebu.

Additional mobile kitchens operated by DSWD Field Offices (FOs) 4-A (CALABARZON), FO 6 (Western Visayas), and FO 8 (Eastern Visayas) arrived in northern Cebu over the weekend to augment the efforts of DSWD FO 7 (Central Visayas) in providing hot meals to quake-affected families.

The FO 4-A mobile kitchen is currently deployed in Medellin, FO 6 in San Remigio, and FO 8 in Daanbantayan.

These mobile kitchens are serving evacuees who are staying in temporary shelters/evacuation sites. It is also reaching communities that are temporarily staying outside their homes in San Remigio, Medellin, and Daanbantayan.

The DSWD Field Office 7’s own mobile kitchen remains deployed in City of Bogo, Cebu, to continue providing freshly prepared meals to quake-affected residents.

Meals include rice and viands that meet basic nutritional requirements and are suitable for children and older persons.

As of 2 p.m. on October 5, 2025, a total of 950 individuals in Bogo City have been served with hot meals since October 1, while 2,164 individuals have been assisted at the evacuation center in San Remigio.

DSWD FO 7 Regional Director Shalaine Marie S. Lucero said that the deployment was initiated under the inter-regional augmentation mechanism of DSWD, which allows neighboring regions to provide logistical and manpower support to disaster-stricken areas.

“This assistance shows that DSWD’s disaster response goes beyond regional boundaries. Our shared goal is to ensure that no affected family goes hungry,” Regional Director Lucero said.

Director Lucero also expressed gratitude for the reinforcement, saying that the cooperation among regional offices reflects the Department’s core value of “maagap at mapagkalinga” service.

“The presence of our colleagues from other regions strengthens our capacity to respond quickly and compassionately. This spirit of solidarity is what defines DSWD,” she said.

The DSWD continues to lead relief operations in coordination with local government units (LGUs), ensuring the sustained provision of family food packs, hot meals, and other forms of assistance to quake-hit communities. ###