THE Cebu Provincial Command Center has temporarily stopped accepting new volunteers for earthquake relief operations, citing safety concerns as the number of helpers swelled to thousands in just two days.
Command Center head Restituto Arnaiz said while the overwhelming turnout of volunteers is a “good problem,” safety must come first.
At least two individuals collapsed due to heat exhaustion during the operations.
“For now, we’ve paused accepting more volunteers. We will just announce if additional volunteers are needed,” Arnaiz said.
As of Thursday, October 2, more than 3,500 volunteers were working at the Provincial Capitol to repack and load relief goods, down from the 8,000 volunteers who showed up the previous day.
Arnaiz also discouraged the donation of used clothing, explaining that sanitation cannot be guaranteed.
"We are not discriminating, but we want to avoid health risks. The most urgent needs now are drinking water, food, tents, and sanitation kits,” he said.
Trucks began rolling out from the Capitol before 5 a.m. Thursday.
Five trucks were dispatched to Tabogon, followed by units to Daanbantayan, San Remigio, and Medellin by 7 a.m.
Arnaiz said deployment has been centralized at the Capitol warehouse, which directly delivers goods to quake-hit municipalities.
To ensure the safety of drivers navigating damaged roads, deliveries of relief goods are only allowed until 7 p.m. daily.
Despite challenges in road access, Arnaiz said relief efforts continue in full swing. He said they were happy that many volunteers and trucks were on standby. (CAV)