by Luel Galarpe/Philippine News Agency
CEBU CITY – The Cebu City government can now use its PHP27.5-million calamity budget to address the plight of the farmers in the upland barangays affected by the El Niño.
This developed after the City Council approved a resolution declaring the city under a state of calamity in a special session Friday.
Councilor Dave Tumulak, who sponsored the resolution, said the calamity budget exactly amounting to PHP27,582,110 is also intended to address the water shortage problem affecting residents of some barangays in the metropolitan area.
“We declare a state of calamity in the City of Cebu in order to allow us access to calamity funds to be utilized to address the ill effects of the dry spell not just in the upland barangays but in the urban areas as well,” he said.
With the availability of the calamity funds, Tumulak said the City’s Department of Public Services (DPS) would now be able to regularly deliver water to the affected areas with the assistance and support of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
Water tank trucks of DPS, barangay fire brigades, MCWD, and BFP will be mobilized for the distribution of water.
Most of the PHP27.5-million budget will be used for the procurement of water pumps, plastic containers, plastic drums, water hoses, vegetable seeds, and other agricultural materials for the farmers.
At present, there are 14,000 farmers in the city and more than 300 of them are severely affected by the El Niño phenomenon.
Cebu City is the 10th local government unit (LGU) in Cebu Province to declare a state of calamity.
Earlier, the cities of Talisay, Carcar, and Toledo issued the declaration as well as the municipalities of Dumanjug, Ginatilan, Minglanilla, Samboan, Sogod, and Tudela.
Last March 25, the Cebu Provincial Board also placed the entire province under a state of calamity.
