Cebu City mayor declares state of calamity and emergency, imposes 'stay at home order'

Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama has ordered a city-wide general state of calamity and emergency due to the damage to property brought about by the onslaught of Typhoon Odette on Thursday.

Rama also initiated a "stay at home" order to fast track, among other things, the rehabilitation and restoration work of the city government

In the directive, which will take effect by midnight of Dec. 18, 2021, Rama said "the aftermath of Typhoon Odette has brought about massive devastation to critical infrastructures, blocked roadways, downed power lines and communications without any water supply."

"It is the primary objective of the Cebu City government to immediately conduct rescue and relief operations as well as to restore and to revive our economy and our way of life to pre-disaster status at the soonest possible time," he added.

Rama encouraged residents to remain at home as the city government goes about its work.

"All persons in the city of Cebu shall at all times stay at home during the period of the effectivity of this directive," he said.

"Those individuals violating the mandatory stay at home order, and since staying outside the home of residents without ample justification shall be required to go back to their respective residences," he added.

The exemptions to the mayor's "stay at home order" are the following:

• medical personnel, hospital staff, nurses, and health volunteers
• emergency personnel tasked in rescue and retrieval operations

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• law enforcement personnel
• authorized local and national government officials and employees
• drivers and personnel of delivery vehicles carrying all types of cargo
• accredited media personnel,
• farmers, fishermen and agri-vet business personnel
• Persons who seek medical attention or who are already in any medical facility provided that only one companion shall be allowed
• Public utilities personnel and contractors undertaking repairs and restoration work on critical infrastructures
• Persons purchasing indispensable provisions, such as food, medicine, and building materials
• Persons employed in establishments who have already resumed operations

Task Force Puyo, previously established to implement mandatory stay at home directive in response to COVID-19 emergency will be convened and activated. -- BAP, GMA News