Cebu to declare calamity

CEBU CITY -- A councilor will ask the City Council in Wednesday’s session to declare all mountain barangays in this city as calamity areas.

This way, the City Government can make emergency purchases to address problems caused by El Niño.

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Although the City Council has passed a resolution declaring a state of calamity preparedness in all mountain barangays, this allows the city to tap the calamity funds only with prior approval from the council.

“With a state of calamity, the city can use the calamity funds to make emergency purchases without seeking prior approval from the council. The different offices just need to account for their expenses,” explained Councilor Gerardo Carillo, also the action officer of the Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council.

He said the Department of Public Services (DPS) and the City Agriculture Office recommended that the upland areas be declared under a state of calamity. At least 28 barangays will be covered.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña agreed it’s high time that’s done.

“Daghan kaayong request, lain-lain lang ang problema (There are so many requests and so many different problems),” said the mayor. Relying on standard procedures in procuring supplies, he added, will cause more problems.

Among the expenses to be prioritized is the setting up of deep wells in areas where there is no water supply, purchase of hoses and deliveries of water to the mountain barangays.

Under a state of calamity preparedness, the DPS, City Agriculture Office, and other offices that may have request for purchases still need to seek the disaster council and the City Council’s approval before any purchase is made.

City Agriculturist Joelito Baclayon said farmers have requested additional containers so they can store water for their daily needs.

He encouraged them to plant crops that can bear the dry spell, like potato, cassava, mongo and other root vegetables.

Baclayon said farmers in the mountain barangays have felt the effects of El Niño since October last year.

Now, it’s not just water for the plants that is in short supply, but also potable water.      

In a previous interview, Carillo said that if 20 percent of a barangay’s farm produce has been damaged, a state of calamity can be automatically declared.

Baclayon estimated the damage has reached 50 percent, affecting vegetables, flowers, rice fields and dairy farms. (ETB/LCR/Sun.Star Cebu)