CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. is scheduled to make his first official visit of the year to Cebu today (Feb. 26), highlighting national government initiatives on social support and disaster preparedness.
The President’s itinerary includes a visit to a processing center in Liloan, under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) outreach program, and the inauguration of a major regional disaster support facility in Mandaue City.
First stop in Liloan
The first stop is the Pag Abot Processing Center located in Sitio Kawayanan, Barangay Tayud, Municipality of Liloan.
This facility is part of the Pag Abot Program, a DSWD initiative aimed at reaching out to families and individuals in street situations, encouraging voluntary participation, and providing them with initial support, including food, clothing, and assessment of their needs before reintegration to safer living conditions.
The Pag Abot Program has reached thousands of vulnerable individuals and families nationwide since it began in 2023 and was institutionalized through Executive Order No. 52 in 2024.
The processing center in Central Visayas is expected to help speed up service delivery and expand the program’s reach in the region by offering a centralized facility for intervention and support.
VDRC inauguration in Mandaue
After the visit in Liloan, President Marcos will proceed to Barangay Tingub in Mandaue City for the inauguration of the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) of the DSWD.
The VDRC is a strategic logistical hub designed to strengthen the government’s disaster response capacity across the Visayas.
It houses a mechanized production system capable of rapidly producing large numbers of family food packs (FFPs), essential during disaster relief operations, and serves as a storage and warehousing facility for food and non food items that can be dispatched to affected areas.
The center plays a vital role in supporting emergency relief efforts for natural disasters, allowing rapid delivery of aid to areas in need throughout the region.
DSWD officials have highlighted VDRC’s expanded capacity to preposition relief supplies and improve logistical response, particularly in light of recent calamities across the Visayas.
This disaster hub complements other national response facilities and is integral to bolstering preparedness ahead of the frequent hazards that affect the Philippines.
| Written by Mitchelle Palaubsanon/RAE
