Commuters wade through the flooded Jungquera Extension in Cebu City in this August 25, 2017 file photo.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City government has placed on standby four Kaohsiung buses to ferry passengers, who may be left stranded due to the moderate to heavy rains that may be experienced in the city and other parts of Metro Cebu this Saturday as a result of the low-pressure area now spotted in Eastern Visayas.
Ramil Ayuman, head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), said that the buses will be plying routes in the northern and southern parts of the city.
Also, Ayuman is asking city residents to refrain from leaving their homes today. If there is a need to go out to work or do some errands, he is asking those who are outside to return to their homes as early as possible to avoid getting stranded when the downpour starts.
“Among giawhag ang katawhan nga muuli og sayo aron dili maabtan sa pag-ulan ug pagbaha,” he said.
(We are asking the public to go home early so they will not get stranded from the flooding that may result from the downpour.)
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In anticipation of flooding, the Cebu City government has placed four buses on standby starting at 9 a.m. this Saturday, November 7.
Heavy equipment and medical service personnel have also been stationed in the mountain barangays of Bonbon in the south district and Taptap in the north in case of landslides.
As a precaution, the city’s engineering teams have also been working to clear the city’s waterways to allow the unrestricted flow of floodwater.
In case of a heavy downpour Saturday night, Ayuman is asking Cebu City residents to stay at home. They are also discouraged from getting near water bodies and even bathing in these to prevent the loss of lives.
“Dili ta ganahan mahitabo tong October 13 nga namatyan tag tulo ka residente tungod sa baha,” he said.
(We do not want a repeat of the October 13 flooding that claimed at least three lives.) / dcb