P9 million for Guadalupe River dredging OK'd

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Tomas Osmeña has already approved the request that the city will spend P9 million for the dredging of a portion of the Guadalupe River, particularly within the area beneath the Colon Bridge from Sanciangko Street down to Magallanes Street in Barangay Ermita.

Councilor Gerardo Carillo, executive officer of the City Disaster Coordinating Council, said there is a need for the dredging of the river by a foot deep and 1,000-meter length from the coastline to mitigate flooding which endangers the lives and properties of Barangay Pahina San Nicolas.

Barangay captain Antonio Carusca had successfully convinced Osmeña to help him finance the project that also prompted the disaster coordinating council to strongly endorse the implementation of the dredging activity in that portion of the river to restore its water level, thus preventing future flooding.

Osmeña approved that the budget would be taken from the calamity fund.

According to Carillo, the entire City of Cebu had already been placed under a state of calamity preparedness so the city can spend its calamity budget for that project to prevent natural calamities like flooding.

The city engineers who prepared the Program of Works and Estimates said the work shall consist of excavation, dredging and pushing of river materials from upstream to downstream regardless of its nature. All suitable materials pushed shall be used in the formation of an embankment for a depressed riverbed.

“Namabaw na bitaw ning sapa-a kay daghan na kaayong mga lapok nga wala mauban sa tubig og banlas sa tubig-baha. Dali ra kaayong momabaw uy, sa miaging tulo ka tuig gihabwaan man sab ni,” a resident whose house is located along the riverbank told The FREEMAN yesterday.

That portion of the Guadalupe River within Pahina San Nicolas is much wider compared to some other rivers or creeks in the city that also need dredging, particularly the ones that snake through Barangays Lorega-San Miguel, Zapatera, T. Padilla and down to Tejero. — Rene U. Borromeo/MEEV   (FREEMAN NEWS)