Capitol puts up ‘smart offices’ in quake-hit areas

Local

WHEN earthquake damage made some municipal offices in northern Cebu unusable, the provincial government quickly turned to 14 newly procured “smart offices” to keep local operations running and maintain essential services for residents.

The modular units form part of the province’s broader recovery and rehabilitation efforts following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck northern Cebu on September 30, 2025.

“The 14 smart offices will serve as temporary offices for LGUs to ensure that government services continue despite the damage,” said Aldwin Empaces, Assistant Provincial Administrator of the Cebu Capitol on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

Many municipal and city halls suffered structural damage, making it difficult for local government units to operate normally.

Of the 14 units, 12 have already been assigned to specific towns including Bogo City, Borbon, Daanbantayan, Medellin, San Remigio, and Tabogon.

Two remaining units will stay under the provincial government’s management, with one earmarked for the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) office, which was also affected by the earthquake.

Each smart office measures 20 feet long, 3 meters wide, and 2.75 meters high.

They are fully equipped with comfort rooms, sliding windows, insulated walls, steel doors, lighting fixtures, and electrical outlets, providing a safe and functional workspace for government employees while permanent offices undergo repair.

The emergency procurement followed the Department of Budget and Management’s procurement law, which allows government agencies to directly purchase needed goods or services during a state of calamity without going through regular bidding processes.

The units were purchased from Smarthouse Prefab, a company specializing in modular facilities.

In addition to the 14 locally funded units, the province is expecting 30 more smart offices as part of a humanitarian donation from China.

Sixteen of these will be allocated to the Philippine Coast Guard, local police stations, and rural health units (RHUs), while the remaining allocations are still being finalized by the provincial government.

The provincial government’s use of smart offices is part of a larger strategy to ensure that governance functions continue uninterrupted despite widespread infrastructure damage.

By quickly setting up temporary facilities, officials hope to prevent delays in government services that residents depend on, from health care to public safety and administrative processes.

Alongside these offices, five mobile kitchens will be deployed in northern Cebu to assist in providing cooked meals to earthquake victims.

One kitchen will be stationed at Bogo City Provincial Hospital, one at the Bogo tent city, and others in San Remigio and Medellin.

A rotating mobile kitchen will serve towns where displaced residents are temporarily living along the roadside.

These initiatives underscore the province’s approach to addressing both administrative and humanitarian needs after the earthquake.

While long-term rehabilitation of damaged municipal offices and public facilities continues, the temporary offices and mobile kitchens ensure that essential services and aid remain accessible to affected communities.(MyTVCebu)