CEBU CITY – The Cebu City government immediately checked on schools and other government buildings here to ensure they are still safe following the 5.1 magnitude earthquake that hit Poro town in Camotes Islands on Sunday.
Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia on Monday gave the Office of the Building Official 24 hours to assess the extent of the damage of the earthquake in public and private schools and government offices.
Garcia also allowed the Department of Education (DepEd)-Cebu City Schools Division and the school administrators to decide whether to suspend the classes and shift to modular or online.
“I will leave the discretion to them on whether or not to hold classes or to hold modular or online classes. I hope that is clear,” Garcia told the Philippine News Agency.
Meanwhile, Garcia led the inauguration of 911 Emergency Command Center to heighten response for both emergencies and crimes.
“With the prevalence of criminality in a highly-urbanized city in a disaster-prone country, our emergency response is critical in maintaining safety, security, peace and order. Thus, we need to accelerate our efforts and empower emergency responders in order to be logistically and technologically at par with advanced cities in the world,” Garcia said.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvocs) said the 5.1 quake struck Cebu at 2:53 p.m. on Sunday. The epicenter was located in the southwest of Poro town in Camotes, northern Cebu. (PNA)