‘United fight against floods’

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Government has appealed for collective action from residents and neighboring local government units as persistent flooding continues to plague parts of the city, with officials blaming clogged drainage systems, swollen rivers, and the continued indiscriminate dumping of garbage into waterways.

The appeal came after The Freeman reported that some residents were seen throwing garbage directly into rivers and drainage canals during heavy rains, worsening blockages and flooding in several barangays.

City officials said plastic bottles, household waste, and other debris carried downstream underscore how irresponsible waste disposal continues to choke waterways, aggravating Cebu City's solid waste problem and heightening flood risks.

The Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) has already launched extensive declogging operations, removing tons of garbage from canals and drainage systems to restore water flow.

But officials stressed that engineering interventions alone cannot solve the problem if residents continue to dump waste indiscriminately.

The city reiterated that flood prevention is a shared responsibility, calling on barangays, schools, businesses, and civic organizations to participate in clean-up drives and practice proper waste segregation and disposal.

The effects of the recent heavy rains have already prompted emergency response measures.

On Wednesday, July 22, the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) conducted flood rescue operations in downtown area, particularly along the stretch from Cebu Technological University (CTU) to Manalili Street.

Rescue teams dispatched at 6 p.m. assisted stranded residents after floodwaters submerged residential and commercial areas, while rescue trucks ferried affected individuals to safer locations.

To help commuters stranded by the downpour, Mayor Nestor Archival ordered the deployment of four buses under the city's "Libreng Sakay" program along northbound and southbound routes linking City Hall with Bulacao, Guadalupe, Talamban, and Lahug.

The free bus service was extended the following day to transport beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development's UPLIFT Assistance Program to payout venues at SM Seaside City Cebu.

Archival said the buses would continue operating for as long as they are needed.

"As long as adunay mga pasahero nga nanginahanglan og serbisyo, magpadayon ang atong libreng bus operations," Archival said.

Even before the latest flooding, Archival had issued Executive Order No. 081, Series of 2026, creating the Cebu City River Desilting and Clean-Up Task Force to rehabilitate the city's major waterways.

The task force has been directed to desilt, declog, and rehabilitate the Butuanon, Guadalupe, Lahug, Mahiga, Kinalumsan, Tejero, and Manalili rivers and creeks after assessments found heavy siltation, illegal dumping, and encroachments within the three-meter easement zones.

Composed of personnel from the Department of General Services, Cebu City Transportation Office, Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement (PROBE), and the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO), the task force is tasked with identifying priority flood-prone waterways, coordinating with barangays, ensuring proper waste disposal, and recommending long-term protective measures such as fencing and warning signage. Archival serves as the task force head.

Funding for the initiative will come from the participating departments' budgets and, when necessary, the city's calamity fund. The City Council has also pushed to expand the initiative beyond Cebu City's jurisdiction.

Councilor Francis Esparis pushed before the City Council a motion requesting the Office of the Mayor to formally coordinate with the local governments of Mandaue and Talisay for synchronized desilting and clean-up operations.

The motion noted that major waterways such as the Butuanon and Mahiga rivers cut across several local government units, making isolated efforts insufficient and highlighting the need for a coordinated Metro Cebu-wide approach.

With Tropical Depression Kiyapo continuing to enhance the southwest monsoon and heavy rains expected to persist, city officials said lasting flood mitigation will depend not only on government interventions but also on sustained public cooperation and coordinated action among neighboring local governments.- FPL (CEBU NEWS)