Talisay preparing for La Niña

CEBU, Philippines - To prepare Talisay City from the adverse effects La Nina is expected to bring such as flooding, a major cleanup of open canals and drainage will be conducted on June 11.

“There are certain areas here that get flooded during heavy rains, and the problem usually stems from a clogged drainage system. So with this project, we will utilize all workers at the city hall to unclog all our canals in preparation for the rains,” said City Councilor Rodi Cabigas, former chairman on council committee on Public Works and Infrastructure.

The project was initiated by the office of city administrator Richel Bacaltos.

Cabigas said at least 600 regular and temporary or “job order” workers, including department heads and officers, will be asked to do the dirty job, which, Cabigas said, is also in connection with the celebration of the country’s 112th Independence Day.

The city has already identified areas near the Cansojong creek, the highway in barangay Bulacao, and in barangay Lagtang as among the flood-prone areas.

These areas are situated in the lowest level that they become the outfall of rainwater.

But critics said the problem is the city’s lack of proper drainage system.

But Cabigas said the city’s comprehensive drainage masterplan’s first base implementation will start “very soon,” especially that the study of which has already been completed.

The study conducted by SPACESystems.4719, was done in 2008 and cost the city P5 million.

In an interview with City Planning Development Coordinator Christine Homez before, she said the project would be fully implemented by 2010.

Cabigas said the city could not just go ahead with the project because it would need at least P100 million, the city therefore is “for the meantime” doing it phase by phase.

The first base of the project, he said, hopes to “at least solve that flooding problem” and that once it’s done, the next phase would then be started. (FREEMAN NEWS)