Cebu has taken a major step in strengthening its disaster preparedness with the opening of a permanent, centralized command center in Barangay Apas, Cebu City, transforming a long-idle facility into a critical hub for emergency response across the province.
The renovated complex now serves as the headquarters of the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), providing a dedicated space for coordination, monitoring, and rapid decision-making during calamities. Provincial officials said the facility addresses long-standing gaps exposed by recent typhoons and earthquakes, when responders were forced to operate from temporary setups.
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From Idle Facility to Disaster Nerve Center
Located in Sitio Groto, the structure was originally built in 2019 as an evacuation center under former governor Hilario Davide III and later used briefly as a quarantine site during the Covid-19 pandemic. For years, it was flagged by the Commission on Audit as idle infrastructure before the provincial government allocated P9 million for its rehabilitation.
Renovation works began in October 2025 and were completed in January 2026, covering a two-story command building, dormitories, training facilities, and comfort rooms. The command center now occupies nearly 10 hectares of a 57-hectare provincial property in Barangay Apas.
“It will be a very important facility for the PDRRMO here in Cebu province. We are very proud because we now have a disaster center that truly belongs to the province,” Gov. Pamela Baricuatro said, reflecting on how the area was once overgrown and in disrepair.
Boosting Response Capacity and Coordination
PDRRMO head Col. Dennis Pastor said the new facility significantly improves the office’s ability to function during emergencies, especially after the PDRRMO was reconstituted as a provincial department in September 2025. Since then, its workforce has expanded from 10 personnel to 50, including 21 trained responders.
Inside the command center are a monitoring room with an LED wall, radio systems linking northern and southern Cebu, and internet connectivity provided by Globe, Smart, and Starlink. The facility is also equipped with life detectors, flood boats, and a P3.5-million drone with night vision and thermal imaging capabilities, although only one operator is currently trained to use it.
Pastor recalled how Typhoon Tino in November 2025 and the Sept. 30 earthquake underscored the need for a permanent base, after responders had to rely on temporary tents and borrowed command centers.
“That location proved very strategic,” Pastor said, referring to a previous emergency relocation during flooding near Danao City Hall.
Danao City MDRRMO head Roland Reyes welcomed the development, noting that the command center gives local governments a reliable provincial hub during large-scale disasters.
“We’re really very happy. We’ve been longing for this for a long time. You see, all LGUs are mandated to have its own command center, so this gives us a place to turn to when an LGU can no longer manage a disaster situation on its own,” Reyes said.
For Cebuanos and Filipinos in disaster-prone areas nationwide, the new command center represents faster response times, clearer coordination, and better protection when calamities strike, translating into safer communities and more resilient local governments.
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