The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) 7 said Cebu is a highly-urbanized city, yet in terms of calamity preparedness, it is ill-equipped. Neil Sanchez, of the OCD 7, asked the City Government and police officials to identify calamity-prone areas. He said the City has funds intended for disaster risk management, 70 percent of which must be spent on buying life-saving equipment and training rescuers.

The remaining 30 percent must be set aside for calamity response. Sanchez said calamity preparation must start at home.

“Every family must have a disaster kit that contains clothes, food and water good for three days, also medicine and the family’s important documents. In that way, when certain calamities strike, they may just have to take it easily without a hustle,” Sanchez said.

There are six rivers in Cebu that are closely monitored by OCD 7 as calamity prone. These are the Managa River in Talisay City, Indarohan River, Valladolid and Luan-luan river in Carcar City, Guadalupe River and Mahiga Creek in Mabolo, Cebu City. Recently, the Department of Health (DOH) conducted a disaster risk rescue presentation. The activity was participated in by the different agencies, such as the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Cebu Coastguard, Pagasa and the PNP.

The presentation was part of the celebration of July as Disaster Prevention month. There were 25 trainees from DOH conducting the training. They demonstrated how to respond to calamities. Sanchez said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and local government units must check if they are properly equipped to respond to disasters.

He said the police play an important role in responding to calamities because they are in the field. Operatives from different police stations are encouraged to conduct activities that prepare them for disasters. Cebu City Police Office Director Melvin Ramon Buenafe said he is coordinating with various agencies on disaster response.

He said they are identifying high-risk areas in the city to prioritize in case of disasters. Buenafe said he is planning to request training for his personnel. He said they only have limited supplies and equipment for disaster response.