‘Better be ready than sorry’

HAGUPIT. Storm track of storm Hagupit, to be called Ruby when it enters Philippine Area of Responsibility on Thursday. Inquirer.net

Cebu  officials prepare for  ‘Ruby’; storm could reach Visayas-Bicol

No need to panic. Just prepare and pray.

This was the advice of Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak to the public as he allayed fears that the storm developing in the Pacific Ocean was as strong as supertyphoon Yolanda.

When the storm enters the Philippines on Thursday, it will be called “Ruby”.

“We don’t want the people to panic, but the city also has to prepare,” Tumulak, who also heads the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said.

He said that as disaster response managers have started to prepare for the possible onslaught of Hagupit, which would carry the name Ruby once it enters the Philippine area of responsibility, they’re calling on the public to storm the heavens with prayers.

“We are requesting the interfaith groups, the religious sectors for prayers. Because with prayers, there can be miracles,” he said.

At the Capitol, the province’s chief disaster manager said they  are ready to respond in case a  calamity strikes anew.

Baltazar Tribunalo, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said that on a 10-point scale, he places their level of preparedness  at 7.5.

“The Capitol, as far as the Office of the Governor is concerned, is ready. The Council, I believe, is also ready. It is now the call of the local governments,” he told Cebu Daily News. “Conceptually, we have a contingency plan. The members of the local councils are active. We have  generator sets on standby and other equipment  ready,” he said.

“Disaster risk management is supposed to be the work of the barangays or the municipalities. They shouldn’t always look for the province.  If  barangays were  just active, there would be no disaster.”

Zero casualty

Tribunalo urged towns and cities to inspect vital installations and infrastructure and make an early risk assessment.

“Let’s just make sure we can target  zero casualty,” he said. “Why should we allow deaths during disasters? I’d go for forced evacuation.”

In Cebu City, personnel from the disaster office started going around the city’s 80 barangays to remind officials and residents to take precautions.

Tumulak said the barangays were told to  trim tree branches, inventory equipment and cinspect designated evacuation centers.

“We won’t allow evacuation sites  near the shoreline. We will implement  preemptive evacuation once we see this is already necessary,” he added.

He said the flood-prone coastal barangays of Ermita, Duljo-Fatima, Mambaling and Pasil will not be allowed to put up evacuation sites.

He said high tide ranging from 1.77 to 1.8 meters is expected on Friday, Saturday and Sunday or the days when Ruby is forecast to cross the Visayas.

City Hall has asked the Cebu City Police Office to cancel all leaves of all police personnel.  City Hall has already issued a memorandum earlier that no employees will be allowed to take vacation leaves for the whole month of December.

“We need all the manpower we can get. Our city hall employees can be volunteers for the worst case scenario,” Tumulak said.

Price monitors were also activated to keep watch on unscrupulous retailers and  businessmen who take advantage of the calamity by raising prices or hoarding of commodities

The  Cebu Bankers Club was also told to ensure that automated teller machines in the city would have sufficient cash to dispense this week while outdoor advertising companies were told to start taking down billboards as a safety precaution.

In Lapu-Lapu City, Mayor Paz Radaza reminded residents of coastal areas to follow the instructions of barangay officials.

“Once nga moingon ang mga leaders o mga barangay officials nga mo-evacuate, kinahanglan mo-tuman gyud dayon,” (once community leaders or barangay officials tell them to evacuate then they should follow at once),” she said.

The mayor said emergency instructions will be cascaded to residents through the bandillo or town crier system in which officials equipped with megaphones or portable public address system will go house-to-house to deliver the message.

“Here we don’t have to worry much on the flooding, flash floods or a landslide but only our fishermen and coastal barangay dwellers to be secured,” Radaza said.