| Doris Bongcac
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Starting Saturday afternoon, the Cebu City government will deploy seven teams to clear roads that remain obstructed by fallen trees and other garbage.
Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairperson of the City Council’s infrastructure committee, said each team will have ten personnel. They will be deployed along the entire stretch of Natalio Bacalso Avenue, JY to Barangay Busay, Talamban to Binaliw areas, Capitol (M. Velez) to Banawa, and Banilad to Talamban.
Two teams will also be deployed clean the whole stretch of Osmeña Boulevard.
“We target that within two to three days we can clear our major roads,” said Guardo.
At the same time, Guardo apologized for delays in their clearing operations. He said it took time for them to start because even their personnel were also affected by Typhoon Odette and many were unable to report for work on Friday, December 17.
In a separate interview, Councilor Niña Mabatid urged Cebuanos to help clear the roads in their respective areas.
Mabatid said the sooner they are able to clear the roads, the sooner that the city government will also be able to bring aid to typhoon-affected residents.
To date, many of roads in the city’s mountain barangays remain impassable.
In a report, lawyer Gerard Carillo, head of the City Disaster Risk Reductio and Management Office (CDRRMO), said at least eight were reported dead in the city due to Typhoon Odette while around 200 others were injured.
Carillo said they also recorded one landslide, 14 structure collapse, four flooding incidents, two vessel accidents, multiple fire incidents and 80 rescue operations. At least one river in the city started to overflow while rise in water level was also noted in eight other rivers.
As of Saturday, December 18, the entire city was still without water and electricity.
Carillo said he was informed by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) that it will take two weeks to a month before power supply in the city start to normalize.
In an earlier statements, Visayan Electric said they are also need at least two weeks to rehabilitate the power lines here.
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/ dcb