By Darryl John Esguerra
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the full restoration of electricity and other essential services in Cebu within 48 hours following the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that hit the province on Sept. 30.
During a situation briefing Thursday, Marcos underscored the urgency of restoring utilities and critical operations.
“Babalik na ang energy (The energy will return) … we think that we can be able to recover the basic services within the next two days. ‘Yun ang pinakaimportante, maibalik agad (That’s the most important thing, to get it back immediately),” he said.
Following the briefing, Marcos announced immediate progress in Bogo City, one of the hardest-hit areas.
“But we can announce ‘yung, number one, ‘yung kuryente (first the electricity), I am assured by the Department of Energy Secretary, Secretary Sharon Garin, that we are going –Bogo will have electricity complete for the entire city by the end of today,” he said.
He also reported developments in local healthcare facilities.
“Bukod pa doon, ‘yung dinaanan naming ospital na nasa labas pa lahat ng pasyente, ang DPWH nakapagpadala na ng mga engineer. Tiningnan ‘yung ospital at ngayon kinilear na nila, safe na ‘yung ospital. Puwedeng ibalik sa loob ang mga pasyente na (In addition to that, the hospital we passed by where all the patients were still outside, the DPWH has already sent engineers. They checked the hospital and now they have cleared it, the hospital is safe. The patients can be brought back inside),” the President added.
He said the Cebu Provincial Hospital managed to maintain power through generator sets, while the Department of Energy immediately prioritized its reconnection.
“Ang ospital dito hindi naman nawalan ng kuryente dahil may genset at kaagad prinarioritize ng Department of Energy na magkakoneksyon kaagad (The hospital here did not lose power because it has a generator and the Department of Energy immediately prioritized connecting it immediately),” Marcos said.
The President earlier visited damaged communities in Bogo City, inspected infrastructure, and met with affected families as the government ramps up relief, rehabilitation, and service restoration efforts. (PNA)
