Mayor creates new task forces

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has formed new task forces and planning teams to strengthen Cebu City’s response to public health threats, climate hazards, child protection concerns, and disaster preparedness.

Mayor Archival, through separate executive orders signed this September, created bodies that collectively address the city’s most urgent vulnerabilities.

Executive Order No. 109 established a Technical Working Group to implement the World Mosquito Program’s Wolbachia method as a dengue-prevention strategy.

The order cites the continuing threat of dengue and the need for coordinated oversight, community engagement, and monitoring, in line with a 2025 council resolution endorsing the program.

Executive Order No. 110 created the Task Force El Niño, mandated to coordinate measures against prolonged dry spells, water shortages, and agricultural losses.

The order draws on constitutional guarantees of health and ecology, the Local Government Code’s general welfare clause, and the Water Code’s prioritization of domestic use during scarcity.

With forecasts of below-normal rainfall, the task force is tasked to monitor impacts on agriculture, water, health, and energy, develop contingency plans, promote conservation, and mobilize emergency assistance.

Mayor Archival also signed another Executive Order No. 111 forming a multi-disciplinary team for Project SAFE, a pilot initiative to strengthen mechanisms against online sexual abuse and exploitation of children and the circulation of child sexual abuse materials.

The order aligns Cebu City with Republic Act 11930, the Anti-OSAEC and Anti-CSAEM Act, and responds to Cebu’s identification by child rights groups as a hotspot for online exploitation.

The team coordinates prevention, psychosocial support, family empowerment, and survivor reintegration, working with law enforcement, NGOs, and national agencies.

Executive Order No. 112, on the other hand, constituted a Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Planning Team (LDRRM-PT) to update Cebu City’s DRRM plan.

The order cites RA 10121, which requires integration of disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation into local development.

The team includes city officials and barangay leaders from high-risk areas such as Busay for landslides, Tejero for flooding, Ermita for tsunami, and Capitol Site for fire, tasked with ensuring the plan reflects current vulnerabilities and aligns with national frameworks.

The Cebu City Council noted the transmittals of these orders and, on motion of Councilor Sisinio Andales, referred them to the Committee on Laws to determine whether the newly created bodies duplicate the duties of existing special offices.

The referral ensures that the new task forces complement rather than overlap with established mechanisms. — /FPL (FREEMAN)