Cebu City wants every barangay to be capable of mounting an immediate disaster response, particularly during the critical hours after a major earthquake or calamity disrupts power, water, roads and communications.
Councilors Dave Tumulak and Jun Alcover are proposing the Community Action Response to Emergency (CARE) and Calamity Ordinance of Cebu City, which seeks to make barangays “self-reliant, resilient and capable of standing alone” during disasters.
Under the proposed ordinance, barangays would serve as the first line of response, with city and district authorities stepping in when local capacity is overwhelmed.
Each barangay would be required to organize and train local emergency response teams and volunteers, with at least five trained responders encouraged in every barangay.
These could include medical professionals, engineers and skilled workers such as carpenters, plumbers, electricians and mechanics.
Barangays would also be required to maintain evacuation plans, identify primary and secondary evacuation routes, establish assembly points and safe zones, and conduct regular drills.
The proposal calls for barangays to maintain lists of vulnerable residents, including households with elderly persons, persons with disabilities and those with medical or other special needs.
A “Know Your Constituents” (KYC) system would also be established to help barangays maintain updated information on residents, including their skills and professions, as well as available local resources.
To address gaps in equipment and personnel, the ordinance proposes pooling resources at the district level, including rescue vehicles, communications equipment, medical supplies, water purification systems, life-saving gear and other disaster response resources.
The proposal also calls for early warning systems, including river monitoring equipment, sirens and public address systems linked to the city’s disaster response network.
The measure comes amid concerns over Cebu’s exposure to earthquakes, severe weather and other hazards that could disrupt centralized emergency response.
It emphasizes that barangays should be prepared to act before outside assistance arrives, particularly when roads, telecommunications and other basic services are affected.
The measure remains a proposal and must still undergo the legislative process before it can take effect.
Photo by Ariel Alegado
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