60 families in Cebu City evacuated amid rains

CEBU, Philippines — Over 60 families in Cebu City have been placed under preventive evacuation following the heavy rains recently.

At least 34 families in Pit-os had been evacuated to the barangay gym after houses in sitio Taboc were heavily flooded, the mayor’s special assistant for special projects, Ramil Ayuman, said.

Aside from that, around 10 families in Buhisan have also been evacuated to the barangay gym by the city’s disaster office due to soil erosion.

City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office head Raquel Arce said the area where these families are building their houses is supposedly a “no-build” zone being near the river.

The city government is aggressively doing clearing operations of the three-meter easement now.

Over in Budlaan, around 22 families have also been evacuated due to some earth movements.

“Ni-crack ang yuta sa may Budlaan,” said Basmayor.

Basyamor reminded residents in flood and landslide-prone areas to vacate their place right away before any untoward incident happens, saying one’s life and the lives of their family members are the more important than any valuables.

Basmayor said that the soil is like a sponge that can hold water to its limits.

“In layman’s term, ang yuta mura na siya’g sponge, unya kung puno na, maong mo-erode na dayon ang yuta,” he said.

Along with this, the city’s disaster team is advising those being evacuated to return to their respective houses only when the weather condition turns better.

Its quick response team and the rest are also constantly monitoring the barangays together with the barangay responders as the weather suddenly shifts from sunny to gloomy.

“They are advised to remain in the evacuation until weather improves… Basa pa man kaayo ang yuta, unya sige pag uwan, delikado pa… Bahala na ang property, pwede ra man na nato ma… It the lives that matters,” said Basmayor.

Meanwhile, the city government yesterday received “flood walkers”, a knee-high shoe cover from the Sacred Heart School’s Batch 1985. These show covers are expected to help protect the disaster personnel from getting water-borne diseases.

The  P375,000 worth of flood walkers will be mostly used by the personnel of the CCDRRMO and some for the city’s traffic enforcers.

Councilor Donaldo Hontiveros suggested to also giving some of the flood walkers out including the city’s river troopers. — Decemay P. Padilla, JMD (FREEMAN)