Council urges brgys: Ensure public safety during calamities

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council is urging all the barangays in the city to help in ensuring the safety of the students and all constituents in their respective communities during disasters.

“Check open manholes and cover the same, remove road hazards and dangerous debris so accidents will be avoided during floods and heavy rains,” Councilor Alvin Dizon said in his resolution.

During the opening of classes this school year, a mother and her child fell on a septic tank in Poblacion Pardo, Cebu City near Pardo Elementary School.

Councilor Dave Tumulak, head of the Cebu City Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the septic tank was not properly closed.

Another way of ensuring the safety of the students, according to Dizon, is to hold effective information dissemination on the cancellation of classes during the flood.

“This is the time of the year when onset of typhoons and heavy rains is expected. Local government units have the duty to ensure safety of students and are already empowered to announce cancellation of classes,” he said.

Section 2 of the Executive Order No. 66 states, “In the absence of typhoon signal warnings from Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, localized cancellation or suspension of classes and work in government offices may be implemented by local chief executives, as chairmen of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council concerned, in coordination with PAG-ASA and the NDRRMC, specifically in flood-prone or high risk areas.”

Based also on the executive order, announcements will be made not later than 4:30 a.m. of the day of the intended cancellation of classes and work, or not later than 11 a.m. for suspension of work and classes in the afternoon session through diverse media.

 Further, Section 3 of the order states that classes in all levels in both public and private schools, as well as work in the government offices, may be cancelled or suspended in areas affected by disasters or calamities other than typhoons, such as but not limited to floods, earthquakes, tsunami and conflagration, upon the declaration by the President of a state of calamity based on the recommendation of the NDRRMC.”   (FREEMAN)