Cebu placed under state of calamity after Tino’s devastation

Local

THE Cebu Provincial Government has placedthe entire province under a state of calamity after Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi) devastated several cities and towns on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The declaration stemmed from an Executive Order (EO) that Gov. Pamela Baricuatro issued following confirmation of extensive destruction to public and private properties and reports of deaths and displaced families.

Vice Governor Glenn Soco said he convened

an emergency session of the 17th Sangguniang Panlalawigan on Wednesday, Nov. 5, to formalize the declaration.

“Kini nga lakang magtugot sa atong Cebu Provincial Government nga mapaspasan ang relief ug rehabilitasyon, ug aron masiguro nga mapadala dayon ang tabang ngadto sa mga biktima ni Bagyong Tino,” he said.

Soco explained that several areas suffered severe flooding and damage, with homes destroyed, roads rendered impassable, and livelihoods disrupted.

He urged Cebuanos to remain united and faithful, expressing optimism that the province will recover soon.

Baricuatro’s order cited the recommendation of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), which coordinated with municipal and city disaster councils.

This is alao due to “widespread damage, loss of lives, continuous imminent threats to life and safety, and disruption of essential services” across Cebu’s component cities and municipalities.

The order authorizes all provincial and local government offices to use their Quick Response Funds and other available resources for rescue, relief, recovery, and rehabilitation operations, following existing auditing and accounting regulations.

It also directs the implementation of a price freeze on basic goods and commodities in coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Local Price Coordination Council, in line with Republic Act No. 7581 or the Price Act.

The state of calamity will remain in effect until the Provincial Government lifts it upon the recommendation of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC).

Baricuatro on Wednesday, Nov. 5, led coordination efforts for the immediate restoration of essential services disrupted by the typhoon.

She met with key public utility providers to accelerate the restoration of power, water, and communication lines and stressed that reenergizing the power grid is the top priority, as electricity is needed to restart water systems and communication facilities across Cebu.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) reported restoring 45 percent of Cebu’s power supply as of 8 a.m. Wednesday and continues to repair damaged transmission lines.

The Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) resumed operations at 40 percent capacity, with full recovery dependent on the re-energization of pumping stations.

Telecommunication companies also began restoring their networks. Globe Telecom said nine of its employees were affected by the storm but assured that 90 percent of services could return within two to three days.

The company deployed generator sets to speed up repairs and suspended credit actions to avoid disconnections.

PLDT and Smart Communications reported ongoing service interruptions due to power outages, particularly from Mandaue City to Daanbantayan. Both companies said their restoration work depends on the return of stable electricity.

Cebu Electric Cooperative III (Cebeco III) restored power in three local government units, covering 14 percent of its service area, and aims for full restoration by Saturday.

Visayan Electric Company (VECO) said that as of 9 a.m., power restoration reached 99 percent in San Fernando, 91 percent in Naga, 85 percent in Minglanilla, 44 percent in Talisay, 46 percent in Mandaue, and 42 percent in Cebu City.

VECO said flooding and damaged substations in Liloan and Consolacion continue to delay progress.

In Cebu City, 46.29 percent of power and 47 percent of water services were restored as of 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Hospitals remain fully operational, and both Globe and Smart networks are active though signal quality varies by location.

Councilor Dave Tumulak led an inter-agency meeting with City Council members, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and various response clusters to assess recovery progress.

The City Council plans to pass a resolution urging DTI to enforce a price freeze on basic commodities.

Data from the city’s Emergency Operations Center show that 51 barangays currently shelter 2,639 families or 15,749 individuals in 75 evacuation centers.

Road-clearing teams continue to remove debris from areas made impassable by landslides, soil erosion, and bridge damage, particularly in upland barangays such as Busay, Lusaran, and Sudlon.

The Department of Public Works and Highways and city engineering teams deployed heavy equipment to restore road access.

Police and Army units continue search and retrieval operations in isolated areas, while the Philippine Coast Guard and Bantay Dagat teams patrol coastal zones for possible casualties and debris.

Authorities advised residents to expect intermittent power and water supply as restoration continues in phases and urged the public to avoid dangerous roads and rely on official government channels for verified information.(MyTVCebu)