CEBU, Philippines: Turning technology into a tool for bayanihan (a spirit of communal unity or effort to achieve a particular objective), Cebu-based student developers have launched a real-time web application designed to connect earthquake victims with volunteers, donors and rescuers in areas hardest hit by the recent magnitude 6.9 quake in northern Cebu.
The interactive app allows users to pin the exact locations of families in need and specify urgent relief requirements such as food, water, medicine, shelter and other essentials.
Each pin on the digital map represents a household waiting for assistance, helping responders identify where to go and what to bring.
“We saw the problem because many were posting online that relief was not well distributed,” said Clint Alonzo, one of the app’s developers, in an interview with CDN Digital on Friday, October 3.
The initiative was created by Clint Alonzo, Vince Igot and Ralph Adrianne Dilao, all Information Technology students from the University of Cebu-Main Campus.
The team said the app was built in response to the urgent need for a more organised, centralised, and transparent system to guide disaster relief efforts.
Through the platform, victims or their relatives can drop a pin marking their location. Donors and volunteers can then access these pins and navigate directly to the site using Google Maps integration.
“Victims can pin their location so they’re visible on the map and help can find them. If they don’t have signal, others—like relatives from afar—can pin their location for them,” Alonzo explained.
“The pinned location can also guide responders with a route through Google Maps for seamless navigation,” he added.
The developers said the platform is already gaining traction, with users posting comments and feedback on how the tool helps locate hard-to-reach areas.
“A lot of people commented that they will use the app to go to the pinned locations,” Alonzo said.
While the app is functional, the team is still addressing technical challenges, such as managing large volumes of data while using free hosting services.
They also plan to add new features, including a “resolved” button that marks locations where relief has already been delivered, to prevent duplication of aid.
“We’re still working on that,” Alonzo said, noting that they are coordinating with their instructors for guidance and exploring partnerships with local government units to officially integrate the tool into disaster response operations.
“We hope to expand this platform beyond earthquakes to support overall disaster response,” he added.
The app, accessible via https://cebu-calamity-response.vercel.app, has drawn praise online for embodying the “Bayanihan spirit made digital.” Users are urged to use the platform responsibly and avoid spamming, as “every pin matters.”
In a similar effort, Charles Zoilo Yana, a student from Cebu Technological University–Danao Campus, also developed a “Northern Cebu Earthquake Relief Map Guide”, which has already mapped nearly 300 locations needing assistance, including Carnaza Island in Daanbantayan.
Yana said he built his site to help responders visualise underserved areas.
“My main purpose is to give responders a guide on where to send aid, especially to places that have not received much attention,” Yana said. The app can be accessed at https://northerncebu-reliefmap.netlify.app
Both initiatives highlight how young Cebuanos are harnessing digital tools to close gaps in disaster response, transforming social media awareness into actionable, data-driven solutions.
“Every pin represents a family. Every pin represents a life,” Alonzo said.
The earthquake killed at least 73 people, injured 297 others, and displaced thousands across northern Cebu, according to government data. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
