TACLOBAN CITY—The Regional Development Council (RDC) in Eastern Visayas has asked President Duterte to declare a state of emergency in the region, following the 6.5-magnitude earthquake on Thursday, resulting in a region-wide blackout since then.
Also, lawmakers from Eastern Visayas on Wednesday urged the Palace to declare a state of calamity in Region 8 after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck parts of the region on July 6.
In a news conference, PDP-Laban Rep. Ben P. Evardone of Eastern Samar, chairman of the House Committee on Banks and Financial Intermediaries; and Liberal Party Rep. Edgar S. Sarmiento of Western Samar said a declaration of a state of calamity is needed for the region to recover.
The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), responsible for the transmission of electricity from the source to electric cooperatives through the grid, earlier said electricity from Cebu could not be transmitted to consumers because all of its transformers in its Ormoc substation were damaged by the quake.
The recommendation for a state of emergency was formalized through a resolution, entitled “Recommending to the President Through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council [NDRRMC] to Declare Eastern Visayas Under a State of Emergency Arising from the Region-wide Adverse Impact of the July 6, 2017, 7.5-Magnitude Earthquake”.
The resolution said that based on the present situation, “the current regional situation is considered an emergency of both regional and national concern, given that the damage affected other areas beyond the borders of Region 8.”
It also said that absence of electricity creates a “consequential negative economic impact felt, especially in the business sector.”
If approved by the President, the declaration will allow local government units (LGUs) to make use of the calamity fund in providing support and assistance to their constituents and provide neighboring LGU of highly affected areas to extend assistance under existing Commission on Audit rules and regulations
The recommendation was made during an RDC Executive Committee meeting on July 8 and forwarded through NDRRMC Chairman and Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana. It stated that a declaration of emergency will fast track the region’s recovery and rehabilitation after the calamity as it will authorize the LGUs to use their emergency and calamity funds.
The declaration of a state of emergency is expected to hasten measures that will resolve the current region-wide power blackout and empower LGUs and concerned agencies to act on the feared price surge and hoarding of petroleum products and other commodities.
The Executive Committee meeting held last Saturday was called to assess the extent of the damage brought by the earthquake and address the region-wide power shutdown.
Reports from the Office of Civil Defense, the Department of Energy read by Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella, the NGCP and the Federation of Rural Electric Cooperatives in Region 8, among others, were presented during the meeting.
Meanwhile, RDC 8 stated that apart from the physical damage, the region-wide power shutdown is taking its toll on the business sector, which is reliant on power generated by the damaged power plants in Tongonan, Ormoc City.
Other resolutions passed by the council include one urging all concerned stakeholders to Build Back Better a More Resilient Energy Sector and one asking the DOE and other concerned agencies in the energy sector to review the Regional Transmission Development Plan and Support the Eastern Visayas Energy Development Plan.
With Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz