Subdivision ponds lack water outlet

CEBU, Philippines — Several subdivisions in Cebu City were found to have detention ponds that are not connected to the main drainage system, based on an initial assessment of flood control facilities submitted by developers and homeowners’ associations to the city government.

Kenneth Siasar, chief of staff of Mayor Nestor Archival, said only 16 development sites responded to the city’s call, eight of which have been inspected so far.

“Out of 16 atong nasuroy, ang 8 pa lang ang nahuman. Ang uban wala gyud mitubag sa suwat sa City Administrator, mao nga ang City Legal Office na ang misulod,” Siasar explained.

Initial findings showed that some detention ponds either cascade into other ponds or have no clear outlets.

“Ang uban naa’y detention pond pero walay sumpay. Dili nato makita ang agianan sa tubig,” Siasar said.

He said inspectors are tracing connections downstream to determine whether runoff is properly channeled into the drainage system.

“Bisag naa kay detention pond pero walay connection, magbaha gyud sa atong karsada,” he added.

The City Legal Office has also issued formal letters to the remaining 63 developers and homeowners’ associations that failed to respond to the city’s directive.

Siasar said those who continue to ignore the directives could face legal consequences, particularly if subsequent inspections confirm violations or discrepancies in their submitted plans.

The inspection reports will be consolidated and submitted to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which has the authority to determine whether the detention ponds comply with national standards.

“After ma-collect, ma-collate ang report, ato nang i-submit ngadto sa DENR. Sila na ang mo-evaluate kung nasubay ba sa guidelines o wala,” Siasar noted.

Detention ponds, also known as retention basins, are designed to temporarily hold rainwater and release it gradually into drainage systems.

The DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau has emphasized the importance of such facilities in flood-prone urban areas, where paved surfaces reduce the ground’s ability to absorb rainwater.

The city government has required developers to submit compliance reports detailing the existence, capacity and drainage connections of their detention ponds as part of their environmental clearance requirements. — (FREEMAN)