Cebu disaster council gets P44M for emergency response projects
by Juli Ann Sibi
UP Cebu Intern
Damage in Cebu from the dry spell caused by the El Niño phenomenon has increased to more than P211 million, disaster management officials reported yesterday.
As of June 17, the amount included crop losses estimated at P58 million; livestock and poultry losses amounting to P12.3 million; and damage to infrastructure and sources of livelihood taking the biggest hit.
Baltazar Tribunalo, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the province has allotted P44.2 million for its El Niño Emergency Response Plan. Cebu was placed under a state of calamity on May 25 this year.
“Despite the rains, the El Niño (phenomenon) has caused great damage to our province. The PDRRMO, with the help of our local disaster offices, has crafted an emergency response plan so we can immediately provide assistance to those affected (by the dry spell),” he said in Cebuano in a meeting with municipal disaster risk reduction officers yesterday.
Tribunalo said as of June 17, his office has received 26 damage reports from the municipalities and the Department of Agrarian Reform.
The PDRRMO manages half of the P44-million quick response funds. The other half is administered by other Capitol offices involved in carrying out quick response.
“One of our projects for emergency response is to find ways to bring water to areas in the province that don’t have a viable source of water,” Tribunalo said in Cebuano.
Other projects involve the establishment of stone masonry water basins and gravity-type stone masonry dams to store water in selected municipalities.
The PDRRMO will also provide water tankers, portable toilets (portalets) and water pumps to affected towns.
Tribunalo said the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAG) has been allocated P2.8 million. It will distribute drought-tolerant seeds to farmers as well as chemicals to fight pest infestation. They will also help rehabilitate small-scale irrigation systems and distribute farm equipment.
The Provincial Veterinarian’s Office (PVO), for its part, has P5.9 million for the distribution of livestock to affected farmers.
A P10.8-million budget has been set aside for the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and the Public Information Office.
Tribunalo urged the municipal disaster offices to continue submitting their damage reports so that the appropriate agencies can assess the specific needs of each municipality.
“That way, we can address the needs of Cebuanos affected by the dry spell accordingly,” said Tribunalo.
Meanwhile, Tribunalo said they have proposed a P26-million budget for the formulation of a five-year disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation action plan.
“It’s important that we implement this in all municipalities so that all local governments would know exactly what they should do in case of disasters,” he said.
The project is to be implemented in three phases and would cover all 53 municipalities and cities in Cebu.
To jump-start the project, he advised the municipal disaster officers to conduct seminars on Water Search and Rescue, Mountain Search and Rescue, Wilderness First Aid Training, Emergency Response Training and Single or Advanced Rope Technique classes.
Tribunalo said only 38 disaster officers have so far brought the training seminars to their respective municipalities.