WAY PAST COOL

The Cebu City Council yesterday placed at least 15 upland barangays under a “state of calamity” after the unusual cold spell damaged P11.5 million in crops and killed 36 domestic animals.

City Agriculturist Joselito Baclayon identified the barangays as Lusaran, Adlaon, Sirao, Tagbao, Taptap, Bonbon, Guba, Cambinocot, Paril, Budlaan, Pung-ol Sibugay, Sudlon I, Sudlon II, Sinsin and Tabunan.

Two more — Buot-Taup and Malubog– were added to the list, said Councilor Dave Tumulak who heads the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC).

“In a very unusual situation, the residents at our mountain barangays experienced extreme cold weather conditions resulting in deaths of some livestock and domestic animals, while destroying crops and other agricultural products like Baguio beans, pechay, tomatoes, bell pepper which can no longer be sold, or if sold, in very low prices, thus affecting the livelihood of the mountain folks,” the City Council resolution authored by Tumulak reads.

Residents in Sudlon 1 said that while they’re used to cold weather in January, many said this was the first time they experienced extreme weather condition.
The City Agriculture Office said 36 domestic animals with an estimated value of P690,000 and 354 hectares of crops worth P11.5 million have been damaged by the landslides and extreme coldness.

City Agriculturist Joselito Baclayon said the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) are conducting a necropsy on some of the animals to determine the cause of death.

“Ang DVMF nagkuha sila og mga samples to determine kon unsa gyuy hinungdan, pero initially, ang katugnaw gyud. Kay syempre tugnaw kaayo ang panahon, ulan ug hangin pod. Ang nutrition pod tingali nakatampo plus katugnaw pod,” he said.

(The DVMF already took samples from the animals to determine the cause of death, but initially it is believed that the cold weather had something to do with this as the temperature is really very cold, further aggravated by rain and wind. Perhaps the nutrition state of the animals could also be a factor.)

The agriculture office said 30 heads of cattle, three goats, a carabao, a piglet, and a sheep died because of the cold weather.

In Balamban town, Dennis Chiong operations officer of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said 20 animals died due to cold weather. These include 17 heads of cattle, a carabao, a horse and a goat in barangay Gaas.

He said 56 families were evacuated from their homes in Gaas because of landslide or threat of landslide in Gaas.

hypothermia

Cebu City Councilor Tumulak, who visited barangay Sudlon 1, said the probable cause of death of the livestock was hypothermia.

Hypothermia occurs when a person or an animal’s body temperature drops below normal. In extreme cases, metabolic and physiological processes slow down resulting in a drop in, respiration and heart rate. The affected person or animal then loses consciousness and dies.

“(There were also reports that) some children collapsed due to suspected hypothermia,” he said.

Two teenagers from Sudlon 1 were reported to have lost consciousness due to the effects of the extreme weather.
Tumulak advised people in the mountain barangays to take the necessary precautionary measures against the cold weather (see box).

“This is usually expected during this time of the year so the people just need to know what to do. For example, they should let their animals take vitamins and supplements, while people should refrain from venturing outdoors and should wear proper clothing when doing so,” he said.

According to the City Agriculture Department, barangay Tagbao suffered the most with 12 cows, a goat and a sheep ending up dead. These have an estimated cost of P315,000. A total of 10 heads of cattle worth P250,000 and crops including cutflowers worth P4.4 million were lost in barangay Lusaran.

In barangay Sudlon II, 40 hectares of lettuce, cucumber, tomato, Chinese cabbage, eggplant, pepper, spring onion and cabbage worth P3 million were damaged.

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