CEBU CITY (3rd Update) -- The Cebu Provincial Government declared Thursday suspension of work in both private and public offices effective noon of November 7 until Friday, November 8.
Governor Hilario Davide III said in his Executive Order 12, Series of 2013 that the suspension is made considering that Cebu will be in the direct path of Typhoon Yolanda, which is expected to make landfall Friday morning.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama also declared work in public offices suspended, but the Cebu Provincial Government clarified in a post on Facebook that “declaration of work suspension in the private sector is beyond the mayor’s discretion.”
It said Mayor Rama urged and recommended the private sector, though, to suspend work as soon as possible and to have no work on Friday.
“However, work both in the public and private is automatically suspended upon the issuance of Public Storm Warning Signal No. 3,” said the Cebu Provincial Government.
Public Storm Warning Signal Number 3 is expected to be raised over Cebu at 4 p.m. today, Thursday.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said earlier that Yolanda, the second cyclone to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) in November and the 24th this year, is expected to affect Cebu and other provinces in the Visayas as early as Thursday.
Northern Cebu, including Cebu City, was placed under public storm warning signal number 2 as of 11 a.m. Thursday.
With this, Davide’s order stated: “In order to ensure the safety and well-being of its constituents, all residents of the province of Cebu are urged to stay home, remain indoors, and take all necessary precautions to ensure their safety and security during the duration of the typhoon.”
The Provincial Government said it is its policy “to uphold the people's basic rights to life, health, safety and property and to promote the general welfare of its constituents at all times, especially during disasters and calamities,” thus the suspension of work. (LMY/Sunnex)