Friday, May 16, 2008
City to hasten aid for 41 families
CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday said he will expedite the release of financial assistance to 41 families affected by soil movement in Barangay Sinsin.
He, however, said that procedures should be followed, saying he already learned a lesson when the Commission on Audit gave him a hard time by disallowing disbursements made to immediately buy relief goods when typhoon Ruping hit Cebu in 1990.
“We will have to see what we can do to expedite the matter…but we have to go through the process,” he said.
Decisive
The mayor also commended City Councilor Gerardo Carillo for acting decisively in having 21 of the said families evacuated the other day because of immediate threat posed by continuous rain.
He said it was necessary even though no relocation site has been prepared yet.
He made an analogy of the danger with a fire incident, where residents are made to leave their homes for their safety even though it is unclear yet where they would stay.
“I think we have to congratulate Councilor Cari-llo for being decisive and having the initiative in this matter,” the mayor said.
Last Tuesday, policemen, Philippine Marines 51st battalion soldiers, barangay tanods and officials helped in bringing the families to the Barangay Sudlon I sports complex, which is nearer compared to Sinsin’s.
Budget
Last Wednesday, the Cebu City Council set aside P205,000 for the financial assistance of P5,000 for each of the 41 families.
Invoking the general welfare clause of Republic act No. 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, Vice Mayor Michael Rama last Tuesday issued an order for the immediate evacuation of 20 families.
After the allocation, the City will start preparing the vouchers for each of the concerned families.
The Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MBG) 7 and the Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council (CCDCC) recommended the immediate relocation of the families from the landslide site because of danger posed by soil movement.
Prevention
The area was cordoned off last Tuesday, and the affected residents were warned not to venture back.
The MBG was concerned because cracks continue to form, and the “onset of the rainy season further necessitates the evacuation of the affected residents, as rains will further aggravate the unstable condition of the slope.”
It said that while rainfall from April 28 to May 1 was low, it still resulted to massive soil movement that threatened homes and led to the collapse of 300 meters of a road section.
Rain could further saturate the soil, which could collapse and slide anytime. (RHM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (May 16, 2008 issue)
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