Rama to issue EO to strictly impose 3-meter easement in rivers in Cebu City

Mayor Michael Rama is set to issue an executive order to strictly implement the 3-meter easement of waterways rule. | CDN Digital file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is set to issue an executive order for the serious implementation of the three-meter easement in the city’s waterways.

In a statement from the Cebu City Public Information Office, Rama ordered the immediate start of clearing operations to implement the three-meter easement in the city’s rivers.

Rama, in a video conference on Friday, August 5, 2022, emphasized the need to do so after the heavy downpour on Thursday, which resulted to flooding and overflowing of the rivers in the city, including the Kinalumsan river where two persons were swept away. The two victims survived the incident.

In the same statement, Rama said he would have his secretary, Lawyer Collin Rosell, craft an appropriate executive order for this.

“Before the executive order, my directive, which is a verbal order, ang implementer (the implementer), overall is Gerry Carillo. Ang sa (For the) south si (it is) Gerry, sa north, si  (it is ) Kelly Quijada…Ako na ihan-ay sa osa ka (I will straighten it out in an) executive order. And the date to start implementing is today,” Rama said.

The mayor said that the schools would be made as temporary and immediate evacuation centers for the displaced people while waiting for the setting up of container vans at the South Road Properties (SRP) as temporary shelters similar to the “devotee city” during Sinulog festivities.

“They will be placed in the school and then they will be transferred to the SRP. And when you are putting up at the SRP, see to it that the medium-rise buildings are also being built. That is what we are leading to,” Rama said.

The mayor also ordered the department heads to “work fast” as time was of the essence when it would come to responding to calamities.

“The word is ‘aggressive’. Ready ta nga mapriso aron maluwas ang mga tawo, kaysa mapriso ta kay nangawat ta. Again, willing ta nga mangapriso kay giluwas ang mga tawo…Bisan ako lang ang naa sa prisohan,” the Mayor said.

(The word is ‘aggressive’. We are ready to go to prison so that we can save people, and not to go to prison because we stole something. Again, we are willing to go to prison to save lives…even if I’m the only one to go to prison.)

“Ang atong hunahunaon gyud nga dili ta mangabiktima, kay naapil ta, lakip ang inyong mayor, kay wala trabahoa…Mao na karon ang atong direksyon,” he added.

(What we will be thinking about is that we will not become victims because we will also be victims, including your mayor, because it was not implemented…That is what our direction is now.)

Meanwhile, the city government also deployed on Thursday its drainage and asphalting teams under the office of the city engineer to do a cleanup as a mitigating measure following Thursday’s heavy downpour.

A total of 13 emergency incidents were reported on Thursday.

These include that of Basil Baylosis, 24, of Sitio Maganda, Barangay Duljo Fatima, who was caught on video being carried by the raging waters of the Kinalumsan River along with house debris and going underwater underneath a bridge.

RELATED STORIES

Pagasa: Cloudy, rainy Saturday even as LPA nears exit

Cebu City hit by worst flood since Typhoon Odette

No fatalities due to flooding, says Cebu City DRRMO

Floods overwhelm Cebu City again

/dbs