City gov’t tapping catchment facilities to help lessen flooding

CEBU, Philippines -   The Cebu City Council has requested the Department of Engineering and Public Works to make a Program of Works and Estimates (POWE) for the construction of cistern tanks or rainwater catchment tanks for the Executive and Legislative buildings of the Cebu City Hall.

 City Councilor Nestor Archival said in his approved resolution that the measure is to mitigate the impact of flooding in the area with the anticipation of more rainfall that would affect the city.

 Archival cited in his resolution that at least “fifty percent of the entire city streets” were flooded after a heavy rainfall measuring at 60.7 mm brought by the typhoon Mario on September 19.

 “The massive flood due to the rainfall that was described by Director Oscar Tabada of the PAG-ASA Visayas as ‘rainfall way above normal’ has stranded thousands of commuters in Metro Cebu as well as causing disturbance on the city’s differing sectors particularly that of the academe and business,” he said.

 Because of the “massive flood,” Cebu City was declared under state of calamity in a special session on the same date.

 The City Council has enacted City Ordinance No. 2103 or “An Ordinance Establishing a Water Conservation Program and Prescribing Penalties for Violation Thereof.”

 “One of the intentions of the said ordinance is to prevent flooding during rainy season by requiring building owners of commercial, industrial, institutional and residential projects in the City of Cebu by incorporating in their plans and designs the construction of rainwater tanks, reservoirs and cisterns,” the ordinance states.

 To comply with the ordinance, the city government should establish its own catchment basin as part of its mitigating measures for flooding within its area, Archival said.

 For Cebu City, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 has identified at least 173 sitios in 30 barangays as flood-prone areas.

Some barangays include Adlaon, Apas, Banilad, Buot, Cambinocot, Guadalupe, Guba, Labangon, Pamutan, Pit-os, Pulangbato, Quiot, Sapangdaku, To-ong, among others. (FREEMAN)