State of emergency sought for Eastern Samar

As San Juanico Bridge undergoes rehabilitation

TACLOBAN, Philippines — The provincial government of Eastern Samar has asked the provincial board to declare a state of emergency due to the economic impact caused by the rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge.

Meanwhile, the city government of Tacloban in Leyte has declared a state of emergency, citing similar reasons.

Gov. Ben Evardone, who heads Eastern Samar’s disaster risk reduction and management council, on Thursday approved a proposal urging the Sangguniang Panlalawigan  to place the province under a state of emergency.

The proposal was made by Condrad Uy, president of the Eastern Samar Chamber of Commerce.

In Leyte, Tacloban declared a state of emergency on May 29 to mobilize resources and ensure public safety.

The declaration of a state of emergency allows local government units affected by natural and man-made calamities to utilize their calamity funds to cushion the effects of the disaster and assist their constituents.

Samar was the first to declare a state of emergency after a vehicle load limit was imposed on San Juanico Bridge.

The bridge, which connects Samar and Leyte, is a crucial passageway for people, goods, services and medical supplies between the two islands.

With the rehabilitation, vehicles weighing more than three tons are prohibited from crossing the 52-year-old bridge.

The vehicle restriction disrupted the flow and movement of people, services and commodities, thereby  slowing down economic activities.

Leyte board member Wilson Uy warned that the lack of functional ports to ferry trucks from Leyte to Samar is choking not only the economy of Eastern Visayas, but also of Mindanao.

“It is not only us here in Eastern Visayas who are suffering. Farmers in Mindanao are also suffering because they cannot bring their harvest to Metro Manila. Mindanao remains the country’s food basket,” Uy said.

In Samar, many gas stations have stopped operating as trucks were prohibited from crossing the bridge even before the three-ton weight limit was imposed on May 15.

Uy said 90 percent of Eastern Visayas’ fuel supply is sourced from Babatngon town in Leyte and delivered by fuel tankers mostly from Tacloban.

“Trucks that were out for delivery remained stuck in traffic. Many that went to Tacloban to refuel could not return,” he said.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has identified alternative routes to mitigate the crisis brought by the vehicle restriction on San Juanico Bridge.

The PCG said these alternative routes would connect the ports of Amandayehan in Basey, Samar and Tacloban. — Bella Cariaso