State of emergency, new curfew in Lapu-Lapu City

MAYOR Junard “Ahong” Chan has declared a State of Emergency in Lapu-Lapu City starting Monday, December 20, 2021 and announced a curfew that will now run from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.

This comes after the theft of electrical wiring and transformers from power poles toppled by Typhoon Odette (Rai) occurred, delaying the restoration of power services in the city knocked out by the typhoon.

Police will guard the electrical facilities of the Mactan Electric Company that collapsed as a result of Odette’s onslaught last Thursday.

On Saturday, December 18, Lapu-Lapu was already placed under a State of Calamity due to the severe damage Odette had caused in the city.

Nine persons have been reported killed in the city, while 12 were missing as of Sunday night.

Mayor Chan will ask the City Council to revert unused city funds for use in providing assistance to those affected. His initial estimate is that the Lapu-Lapu calamity fund needs P300 million.

Currently, there is P7 million left in the city’s calamity fund.

In a late night address to his constituents streamed Sunday from a neighboring city with an Internet signal, Chan said Odette had toppled 60 percent of the electrical posts on the Lapu-Lapu mainland.

He said Angasil Wharf had also sustained so much damage that fast craft could no longer dock there. Passengers now have to get into the water before they could board fast craft departing from Angasil.

Chain said over 15,000 residents in evacuation centers in the city’s 30 barangays are in need of help.

As for Olango Island, Chan said its schools, hospital and police station had been severely damaged and almost all houses had been affected by the typhoon.

“Most likely, 100 percent of the residents of Olango, totally damaged ang ilahang mga balay,” said Chan.

Many pump boats in Olango used to serve tourists were also washed away. Others capsized, while still others had been rendered completely inoperable by Odette’s lashing, the mayor said.

The electric posts on the island, as well as most of the trees leading to San Vicente, had fallen as well, he said. (FVQ, CTL)