- DILG tells Cebu towns to find water sources and seeks ₱1 billion for tankers
- Gasoline expected down about ₱4 a litre, diesel up slightly, next week
- Respiratory consultations up 27% at DOH hospitals as the air stays bad
- Cebu City looks at shelter for patient watchers outside Vicente Sotto
DILG tells Cebu towns to find water sources and seeks ₱1 billion for tankers
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, visiting Cebu on Thursday, 15 October, told local governments to list every water source they can tap, especially in island towns, before the expected strong El Niño. The DILG is seeking about ₱1 billion more, expected from the Office of the President, to buy water tanker trucks, with delivery targeted by January. He asked towns to stock drums and other containers so households can store delivered water, and said fire trucks may also be used to haul water.
The money is not approved yet and no list of towns has been released. For Carcar households, now is a good time to fix leaks, clean storage drums and catch rainwater while it still falls. Watch for advisories from Carcar City Hall and the Carcar water district on any rationing.
Sources: SunStar, The Manila Times
Gasoline expected down about ₱4 a litre, diesel up slightly, next week
Oil industry estimates based on four days of regional trading point to a gasoline rollback of ₱4.00 to ₱4.20 a litre next week. Diesel is expected to go the other way, up ₱0.20 to ₱0.40 a litre, ending three straight weeks of cuts. The sources cite more gasoline supply as refineries come back online and still-low global diesel stocks.
These are estimates. Oil firms usually announce the final figures on Monday for Tuesday, 20 October. Motorcycle and car owners on gasoline may want to wait until Tuesday to fill up. Diesel users, including jeepney and bus operators, will see only a small rise.
Sources: GMA News, The Philippine Star
Respiratory consultations up 27% at DOH hospitals as the air stays bad
Consultations for respiratory illness at four DOH Central Visayas hospitals rose 26.8% in July to September compared with a year earlier, from 2,778 to 3,524. The biggest rise in Cebu was at Cebu South Medical Center in Talisay, up 66% to 1,407. DOH 7 says the numbers do not yet prove the cause is air pollution but are worth investigating. Metro Cebu's air quality reading was 172, or very unhealthy, on the afternoon of 16 October.
Cebu South Medical Center is the DOH hospital many south Cebu families use. People with asthma or heart and lung problems should stay indoors on bad-air days, avoid walking along busy highways, and see a doctor early if a cough or shortness of breath does not go away.
Source: SunStar
Cebu City looks at shelter for patient watchers outside Vicente Sotto
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival met with DOH 7, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, social welfare offices and provincial health officials about families sleeping on the sidewalks outside the hospital. The city is studying temporary shelter and toilets for watchers, many of whom come from towns far from the city. The hospital keeps its one-watcher-per-patient rule and says a new building will have watcher space, though not enough for everyone. No start date has been set.
If a relative is confined at Vicente Sotto, plan for only one person to stay inside with the patient. Other family members should arrange a place to stay in the city for now.
Source: The Freeman
