Council OKs emergency measures

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council has approved a series of resolutions to strengthen emergency preparedness as Metro Cebu grapples with rotational brownouts and braces for a looming water crisis projected to intensify under El Niño conditions by mid-2026.

The measures come after Visayan Electric Company (VECO) announced rotational brownouts in Cebu City, Mandaue, Naga, and San Fernando following a red alert status in the Visayas grid due to multiple power plant outages.

At the same time, the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) has warned of a daily water deficit of 43,000 cubic meters, threatening supply stability across Metro Cebu.

An approved resolution authored by Councilor Michelle Abella-Cellona mandates all public and private hospitals, infirmaries, dialysis centers, and other medical facilities in Cebu City to submit comprehensive power contingency and emergency energy resiliency plans within 60 days.

These plans must detail generator readiness, fuel reserves, the prioritization of critical medical equipment, emergency communication systems, restoration procedures, and coordination with utility providers.

The Cebu City Health Department and the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) will consolidate and evaluate the submissions to ensure operational readiness.

The resolution stresses that uninterrupted hospital operations are indispensable to patient survival, citing risks to intensive care units, ventilators, dialysis machines, vaccine refrigeration systems, and life-support equipment during prolonged outages.

Another resolution, also authored by Councilor Abella-Cellona, requests gasoline stations, fuel depots, storage operators, and other critical establishments to disclose their emergency fuel reserve capacity and coordinate with the city government.

These entities are asked to submit information on their reserve capacity, replenishment procedures, conservation measures, and contingency protocols within 60 days.

The CCDRRMO, in coordination with the Department of Energy, Bureau of Fire Protection, and other agencies, will maintain a database to guide disaster preparedness, strategic fuel allocation, and the continuity of essential public services.

Separately, a resolution authored by Councilor Harry Rosales Eran calls on VECO to address the ongoing rotational brownouts with urgency and transparency.

The council urged VECO to issue timely advisories, disclose the basis of load-shedding schedules, distribute interruptions fairly, and prioritize uninterrupted service to hospitals, water systems, and emergency facilities.

The resolution also urges the Department of Energy and the Energy Regulatory Commission to monitor compliance with consumer protection standards, while the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is urged to expedite measures to stabilize the Visayas grid.

“Consumers are entitled to timely information regarding scheduled interruptions, affected barangays, and measures being undertaken to restore normal service,” the resolution stressed.

Meanwhile, Councilor Edgardo N. Labella II sponsored a resolution compelling the CCDRRMO to submit a city water security preparedness report within 45 days.

The report must outline conservation strategies, contingency measures, and public advisories to avert a full-blown emergency as El Niño threatens to reduce water supply across Metro Cebu.

MCWD’s latest assessment shows steep declines in production from major water sources. The Jaclupan facility in Talisay City may drop from 25,000 cubic meters per day to 7,000; Buhisan Dam could dry up completely; Lusaran Bulk Water may halve its supply; and Compostela Bulk Water may stop production entirely.

These reductions, equivalent to about 15 percent of MCWD’s total supply, threaten water stability across Metro Cebu, particularly in southern barangays already reporting low water pressure.

To cushion the impact, MCWD has begun rationing water, deploying trucks to upland communities, and fast-tracking the installation of pumping stations in 11 public schools.

It is also accelerating well development, pipeline interconnections, and the exploration of desalination and supplementary bulk water sources.

PAGASA has warned that El Niño has a 62 percent probability of developing between June and August 2026, rising to 83 percent by year’s end.

Cebu could face extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 37°C and heat indices exceeding 50°C.

Historical records show that past El Niño events triggered severe droughts, crippling agriculture and reducing groundwater recharge.

The resolution emphasizes that Cebu City cannot afford to wait for shortages to materialize before taking action, especially as recent disasters, including Typhoon Tinoin November 2025 and the Binaliw landfill collapse in January 2026, have already strained public health and sanitation systems. — (FREEMAN)