FORTUNA
THE Mandaue City Council passed on first reading yesterday an ordinance granting the mayor authority to order the temporary closure of roads, bridges and streets due to heavy downpours.
The resolution was passed in response to a memorandum by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) which requests local councils to authorize mayors and governors to order temporary closures of roads during emergency cases.
“We assure the public that any action related to this is (intended) to protect their safety and not to (cause) inconvenience,” said Mandaue City Vice Mayor Carlo Pontico Fortuna, who authored the ordinance.
Fortuna said the mayor’s authority to close roads, bridges and streets will be based on weather advisories to be issued by the state weather bureau Pagasa, the Department of Emergency Management and the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (LDRRMC).
“If these offices will issue an advisory regarding an upcoming heavy rainfall that may potentially cause severe flooding, the mayor may already order the closure of roads, bridges and particular thoroughfares in the city to avoid dangers. This will be very helpful since Mandaue is a flood-prone city,” Fortuna said.
Fortuna said identified flood-prone areas include A.S. Fortuna Street, Tipolo and the areas surrounding the Butuanon River.
The city mayor can only lift the order once the local weather bureau confirms improvement in weather conditions.