Council to declare city under state of calamity

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council is expected to place today the entire city under a state of calamity due to the effects of El Niño phenomenon.

The City Council will convene for a special session at 10 a.m. to make the declaration upon the request of Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

 “I am respectfully requesting for the conduct of a special session on April 12, 2019 at 10:00 am for the passage of a resolution declaring a state of calamity in Cebu City due to the ill effects of the El Niño,” read a portion of Osmeña’s letter addressed to Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella.

The mayor said the declaration is necessary to allow the city government to utilize its calamity fund in helping the affected residents, especially the farmers.

The Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office earlier recommended the declaration of calamity after several farmers in the upland barangays complained of the ill effects of El Niño. The recommendation was supported by the data coming from the City Agriculture Department, Metropolitan Cebu Water District, City Health Department, and Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries.

The agriculture department reported at least P14.9 million in damage to agriculture with 317 farmers affected.

Damaged crops include amplaya (bitter melon), hot pepper, tomato, eggplant, string beans, yellow corn, baguio beans, sweet corn, cut flower, lettuce, and others. The water district also announced that ground water sources have been depleted because of the dry spell.

After receiving the communication from Osmeña, Labella immediately issued a memorandum calling for the special session. All councilors are expected to attend today regardless of political affiliation. — FPL (FREEMAN)