Official sent to know city’s urgent needs

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has directed consultant Alvin Dizon to travel to Ormoc City to find out what they need in evacuation centers where survivors of the 6.4 magnitude earthquake last July 6 are taking shelter.

Dizon’s report will then guide the city on what sort of assistance it will extend to the quake survivors.

Dizon, the mayor’s consultant for the Sister City Commission, said he will leave Cebu for Ormoc City today.

Despite the occasional tremors, the City did not suspend work and classes.

When the shaking happened at 9:41 a.m. yesterday, City Hall employees, particularly those in the mayor’s office on the eighth floor of the executive building, immediately evacuated.

“I am not worried about the earthquake. I am worried about public safety,” Osmeña said in a press conference yesterday.

Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office Head Nagiel Bañacia said there were engineers hired to check for any damage in some infrastructure in the city. Bañacia said focal persons in the Department of Education will be the ones to assess immediately their elementary and high school campuses.

“This is a case-to-case basis. If for example there is damage in their areas, decisions are localized. It will be the principal who will decide to suspend or not the classes. Sa kinatibuk-an wala gyud suspension (As a whole, there is no suspension),” Bañacia said.

The City Government will also organize a program to train emergency responders to help during this kind of situation aside from earthquake drills.

People should continue to be alert, Bañacia added. /

“This is a case-to-case basis. If for example there is damage in their areas, decisions are localized. It will be the principal who will decide to suspend or not the classes. Sa kinatibuk-an wala gyud suspension. CCDRRMC HEAD NAGIEL BAÑACIA On city’s public schools