THE Cebu Provincial Government will tap all available emergency responders from different local government units to help in the Sinulog Grand Parade on Sunday, Jan. 20.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Head Baltazar Tribunalo said they plan to deploy a six-man team in each of their stations. The initial plan is for the Province to maintain at least three stations.
“All responders available in the whole province will be mobilized, especially at night before the mardi gras,” he said in Cebuano.
Tribunalo said that on Friday, Jan. 11, the Province will field six personnel with its emergency response truck to augment the responders of the Cebu City Government.
The same truck and set of emergency personnel will also be deployed during the opening of the Devotee City on Friday, Jan. 18.
But although they are ready, Tribunalo said they might still ask for vehicular augmentation from the Cebu City Government during the grand parade.
“We asked the Cebu City Government if naa silay (they have an) extra vehicle kay magpa-augment sad mi nila (to add to our vehicles). Daghan man kaayo ang Cebu City karon kay gi-mobilize nila ang mga barangays (Cebu City will have a lot of emergency responders because they will mobilize the barangays),” he added.
As for the seaborne procession on Saturday, Jan. 19, Tribunalo said the Province has already coordinated with the City Governments of Mandaue, Talisay and Lapu-Lapu, as well as the Municipal Government of Cordova.
“It is part of our culture to help one another. We’ll just pray for good weather and hope nothing bad will happen),” he said. RTF