Rama Wants Council to Address Water Crisis, Declare State of Calamity

If Cebu City City Council won’t declare the city’s mountain barangays under a state of calamity due to the intense heat, Mayor Michael Rama said he will be compelled to use his power granted to him by the law.

The mayor said if the body still would not declare a state of calamity so that the city can help the needs of the farmers, then he would be forced to exercise his special powers as provided for under the Local Government Code.

Rama said he is just giving the City Council an opportunity to attend to the water crisis now experienced by the residents of the 31 mountain barangays of the city, stressing that unity in the city government is needed in addressing the problem.

“They should act. They should not let the mayor to do the job because I do not want to be doing it. They might be thinking that I am in a hurry to exercise what I have in the local government code. I am just giving them the opportunity aron there is oneness in our approach to address a real and incumbent concern didto sa kabukiran,” he said.

The City Council already held two executive sessions last May 4 and May 6, but they city legislators did not declared the mountains under a state of calamity for some other reasons.

The Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council presided by Councilor Dave Tumulak has recommended to the City Council the declaration of a state of calamity because of the water crisis experienced by the residents in the mountains.

The affected barangays are Adlaon, Agsungot, Bacayan, Binaliw, Budlaan, Busay, Cambinocot, Guba, Lusaran, Mabini, Malubog, Paril, Pit-os, Pulangbato, Talamban, Taptap, Sirao, Kalunasan, Buhisan, Sapangdaku, Bonbon, Babag, Sudlon 1, Sudlon 2, Toong, Sinsin, Tabunan, Pung-ol Sibugay, Buot, Tagbao, and Pamutan.

Tumulak explained that the calamity declaration is needed so the city could use its disaster funds to address the water shortage in the mountain barangays.

For his part, City Council majority floor leader Councilor Margarita Osmeña said they are not against to the declaration of the mountains under a state of calamity, but the city legislators just want to inquire first from City Agriculturist Joelito Baclayon on how he spent the previous funds granted for a similar expenditure.

“Wala siya mo-submit og accounting sa funds ug wala ‘sab mo-appear sa among executive session kay wala diay kuno tuguti sa mayor,” said Osmeña.