Cebu City Disaster seeks budget to rent heavy equipment for mountain barangay clearing

By: Delta Dyrecka Letigio - 3 years ago

Disaster Risk Reduction and rescue personnel in Cebu City evacuate two families in Barangay Budlaan on Sunday, April 10, 2022, following a minor landslide that happened in the area. | Photo courtesy of Cebu City PIO

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Disaster Council will be seeking a P50 million budget to rent heavy equipment to clear landslide struck areas here due to Typhoon Agaton.

Lawyer Gerry Carillo, the chairperson of the Disaster Council, told CDN Digital that 15 barangays in the city, mostly in the rural areas, have damaged impassable roads due to Agaton.

According to the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), as of 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, the following areas are now undergoing clearing operations and the roads may be passable:

Sitio Tugop Babag Landslide – Passable 1 Lane Only with Ongoing Clearing Operation

Bobon Proper Landslide – Passable 1 Lane Only

Binaliw Landlside – Not Passable

Pamutan Landslide – Passable

Sitio Pangpang Buot Taup – Passable 1 Lane Only

Sitio Tugop Babag Landslide – Passable 1 Lane Only

Sitio Upper Malubog Landslide – Not Passable

Sitio Atyotes Lusaran Landslide – Not Passable

Sitio Naga, Toong – Passable

Sitio Kaingking, Toong – Passable

Carillo said that they are having a difficult time conducting clearing operations because of the lack of heavy equipment in the City’s Engineering Departments.

With too many roads to handle, they need to hire more heavy equipment to clear the roads as soon as possible.

“We need to hire more heavy trucks to clear the roads immediately kay daghan man ni nga areas. Atong mga bike patrollers gipadala napud nato to check other areas like Pamutan, Bonbon, Toong. Dako-dako gyod ning trabahuonon sa atong Engineering,” said Carillo.

The disaster chairperson hopes the City Council would immediately respond to the request because there is a necessity to restore the integrity of the roads because of the Holy Week and the coming elections as well.

“Kailangan gyod ni siya matrabaho because eventually maglisod na ang mga tawo didto,” he added.

The P50 million equipment rental should cover the cost of the clearing operations in all 14 barangays, where landslide and flooding have destroyed the roads.

Asphalting and construction works will have to be done in some areas just so the roads will be passable.

The Disaster Council is still waiting for the Cebu City Council for their reponse. For now, the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) are working double time to clear as many areas as they can.

/bmjo