CEBU CITY — In preparation for the arrival of Tropical Storm Rai, the city government on Tuesday, Dec. 14, postponed several activities including the distribution of financial assistance to senior citizens.
City Mayor Michael Rama said the weather disturbance may also disrupt the schedule of the second installment of the National Vaccination Days.
“Should ‘Odette’ cross over us, vaccination will be postponed from Dec. 17 through the weekend, until further notice,” Rama said.
Rai will be named Odette once it enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). State weather bureau projected that “Odette” may enter between Tuesday evening (December 14) and early Wednesday morning (December 15).
As early as Monday, Dec. 13, Rama started convening the personnel of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO)
As it prepared for the deploying of its disaster and rescue response teams, the CDRRMO conducted a pre-disaster meeting Tuesday.
CDRRMO activated the city’s ‘Unified Communication System’ by distributing the needed tools and equipment to every barangay.
A least 150 areas from 49 barangays will be closely monitored for possible flash flood and landslide.
Rama said preventive evacuation may be conducted in flood-prone areas such as in Kinalumsan River and Mahiga Creek as well as in coastal areas like Ermita, Pasil and Suba.
“Please understand that our CDRRMO will have to facilitate preventive evacuation. The same is true at portions in our mountain barangays, like Buhisan,” Rama said.