AFTER declaring a state of calamty in the entire Cebu City, the City Council approved the use of P37.5 million for the purchase of surplus heavy equipment and rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged by the storm.
The need for the equipment is urgent but to avoid irregularities in the purchase, the council agreed that all purchases will go through the regular bidding process.
They also required the councilors to include in the council session agenda a report on what purchases have been made and where it was used, to ensure that calamity funds are used appropriately and in a transparent manner.
During a special session yesterday, the council also criticized the weather bureau for inaccuracies in the bulletins they issued last Monday when tropical storm Lando hit Cebu.
As a result of the failure of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pag-asa) to warn the public long before the storm came, local government units (LGUs) and residents were not prepared, they said.
“It was very unusual. It was the first time a tropical depression was announced and in just a few hours, it was declared a typhoon. It was not clear. There was no alarm or prior notice. The people could have prepared,” Vice Mayor Michael Rama said.
But Pag-asa Director Prisco Nilo said the Mactan office is only an observation station and has no authority to make its own weather assessment, so it should not be blamed for the delayed forecast of Typhoon Lando.
Ill-equipped
In a resolution, the council asked Pag-asa to reevaluate their procedures in declaring storm signals.
They invited its officials to the Nov. 28 council session to explain how declarations are made, and discuss the “confusing” weather bulletins they issued last Monday.
The council was dismayed when they learned that Pag-asa was late in issuing a weather bulletin because it had to wait for another six hours since the last bulletin was issued.
Also, Pag-asa Cebu reportedly waited for further instructions from their central office.
“This practice has to be looked into. The centralization of power in Pag-asa is not very healthy, as shown by what we experience yesterday,” lamented Councilor Edgardo Labella during yesterday’s special session.
Good job
Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Operations Officer Neil Sanchez, however, said that Pag-asa has been “warning of continuous rains” since Saturday.
“Our local Pag-asa is capable of assessing local readings but they cannot release a statement. They have to wait for the Manila office to do so,” Sanchez pointed out.
Sanchez said Tabada even risked his career by declaring a storm signal number one at about 1:30 p.m. last Monday without the go-signal of Pagasa’s central office.
He narrated that Tabada called him up and told him he would push through with the declaration without Manila’s approval. Sanchez said Tabada did “a good job.”
Also in Labella’s resolution, the council declared a state of preparedness in the city in anticipation of the typhoons that might hit Cebu in the coming weeks.
Money
They approved the purchase of P37.5 million worth of heavy equipment and supplies for the rehabilitation of damaged roads and bridges, and for relief and emergency response operation during typhoons.
The purchase will be charged against the City’s calamity funds, which amount to P57 million.
Councilor Nestor Archival said that the City Government already has some of the equipment they will buy but some are being used for other projects, while others are not working.
Among other equipment, the City will buy three bulldozers amounting to P15 million, a backhoe and crawler worth P4 million, five sets of mud pumps with generator sets amounting to P1.8 million and 10 chainsaws for P550,000.
The council allocated P5 million for the rehabilitation of damaged schools, relief operations and mobilization of personnel and vehicles.
At least P7 million was also allocated for the construction of dams that will control the flow of rainwater to avoid flooding, P1.5 million for the rehabilitation and construction of footbridges and another P1.5 million for the riprap of eroded portions of the Guadalupe river. (LCR/EOB/MEA)
