CEBU CITY, Philippines—On the first anniversary of Super Typhoon Odette on Friday, December 16, 2022, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama reminded his constituents to continue to prepare against disasters.
“I don’t have to think about Odette. I just have to prepare and continue to prepare and get the people to continue to be focused,” the mayor said.
“Let’s do it as one Cebu City, with the province, one Cebu Island. Let’s be serious and tomorrow, Odette will already be a thing in the past,” he added.
TS Odette (international name: Rai) brought category 5 winds of up to 260 kilometer per hour to Cebu and other regions in its path, leaving a trail of destruction that would last for months.
LOOK: Wrath of #OdettePH in Cebu
But Rama said Cebu City has recovered from the effects of the storm.
“Definitely (nakabawi na ang Cebu City). The fact alone that we are open…pero we are not oblivious mao ng mag sige ko og pangutana kung na pa bay Odette (affected families) nga wa matagai (assistance),” he said.
Cebu City was among the hardly-hit areas of Super Typhoon Odette, with a total of 636,837 families or close to 2 million individuals in Cebu affected, based on the January 2022 report of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
READ: Cebu: A month after Odette’s fury
Meanwhile, as the Cebu City government allowed the return of in-person Misa de Gallo, Rama also reminded his constituents not to be complacent of the health and safety protocols.
“Tuman lang mo sa lagda sa simbahan. Tuman lang sad ta unsay lagda sa police, unya let’s enjoy Misa de Gallo,” he said.
Thousands of Catholics flocked to various parishes and chapels early Friday morning, December 16, 2022, for the start of the nine-day mass at dawn.
The mayor also said that he would soon be releasing advisories about Misa de Gallo, New Year, Sinulog, and all other activities until June to serve as general guidelines and protocols under the new normal.
/bmjo
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