Pam lifts truck ban to hasten delivery of aid to quake-hit areas

Local

RELIEF trucks heading to northern Cebu’s quake-hit towns will no longer be stuck in traffic.

To fast-track the flow of aid and essential supplies, Cebu Gov, Pamela Baricuatro has temporarily lifted the truck ban across the province following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that devastated parts of northern Cebu earlier this week.

The Executive Order, signed Oct. 2, suspends the enforcement of the truck ban on all provincial and national roads to ensure the uninterrupted movement of vehicles carrying relief goods, food, medical supplies, fuel, and construction materials.

The order will stay in effect until the State of Calamity is lifted.

“Logistics is really our main challenge right now. The roads going north are congested, and we don’t want relief trucks delayed,” Baricuatro said in a press briefing on Friday, October 3.

The governor said many volunteers and private groups have been rushing to deliver assistance, but traffic bottlenecks and ongoing aftershocks have made operations difficult.

She urged donors to centralize their relief operations with the Capitol’s command center to avoid duplication and ensure safety.

The 6.9-magnitude quake struck at 9:59 p.m. on September 30, with its epicenter 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City.

It has left at least 68 people dead and 599 injured, based on the latest validated data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

More than 366,000 individuals across northern Cebu have been affected, with 5,013 homes damaged, including 658 destroyed.

Heavily hit areas include Bogo City, San Remigio, Medellin, Tabuelan, and Sogod, all placed under a State of Calamity.

Hospitals have declared Code White Alert due to the surge in patients, while 1,795 people remain in evacuation centers.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has recorded 3,952 aftershocks as of 8 a.m. Friday, some reaching magnitudes as high as 5.1.

Authorities warn that tremors could continue for weeks.

The Capitol said top priority needs include food, clean water, modular shelters, and hygiene kits.

Relief and clearing operations are ongoing in coordination with national agencies, local governments, and private partners.

Baricuatro said the lifting of the truck ban is part of the province’s broader effort to accelerate recovery and ensure no community is left behind.(TGP)