Korean consul, Engineers meet Archival

CEBU, Philippines — Korean Consul General Yim Jeanhyuk on Thursday paid a courtesy visit to Mayor Nestor Archival to renew commitment to bilateral cooperation, while the Korea Environmental Professional Engineers Association (KEPEA) is deepening its collaboration on urban development with the city government.

Yim and Archival focused their talks on transportation reform to ease mobility, international assistance to improve local services, and the welfare of South Korean residents in Metro Cebu for community integration and safety.

“I welcomed Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Cebu, Yim Jeanhyuk, during his courtesy visit to my office,” Mayor Archival said in a statement.

“We discussed ways to strengthen our bilateral ties and explored possible collaborations, including improving Cebu City’s transportation system and potential assistance from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA),” he added.

The consul, for his part, also shared his concern for the safety of more than 5,000 South Korean residents in Metro Cebu. Mayor Archival in turn, assured him of commitment to keeping our city safe and secure for everyone.

Following this mutual reaffirmation of support, the partnership of Cebu City and South Korea for sustainable growth and community safety is strengthened.

The Korean engineers’ meeting with Mayor Archival was to advance sustainable urban development and strengthen climate resilience through Integrated Storm Water Management (ISWM) systems.

KEPEA president Soon Myung Hong discussed with Mayor Archival the strategies to address the city’s pressing challenges, including severe flooding, aging drainage systems, and worsening water pollution.

The Yim-Archival dialogue, on the other hand, was built on Cebu City’s active engagement in regional cooperation, notably through the mayor’s participation in the 2025 Korea-Philippines Maritime Mobility Cooperation Forum held at the Radisson Blu Cebu hotel on September 9.

Addressing delegates from both countries, the mayor underscored the strategic importance of maritime mobility in fostering inclusive development and resilient communities.

“As an island nation, the Philippines depends greatly on our seas for trade, for livelihood, for culture, and for connection between communities. That is why cooperation in maritime mobility is vital,” Archival told the delegates, emphasizing the role of innovation and shared responsibility in building accessible, eco-friendly transport systems.

The City’s PIO said the forum had gathered representatives from government agencies, academic institutions, research bodies, and local government units to explore joint initiatives in maritime infrastructure and policy.

It also served as a platform to align Cebu City’s long-term goals with South Korea’s expertise in smart mobility and urban planning.

With KOICA’s potential involvement and a shared focus on safety and sustainability, the Cebu City-South Korea partnership is poised to deliver tangible benefits for both residents and visitors.

The Archival-KEPEA meeting, held in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology-7 (DOST-7) and CVISNET (Central Visayas Information Sharing Network Foundation, Inc), highlighted ISWM as a key solution for restoring water circulation, reducing disaster risks, and supporting carbon neutrality goals.

Cebu has faced increasingly destructive floods in recent months, particularly in July and August, when heavy rainfall inundated several barangays.

DOST-7 said that experts have linked these disasters to outdated drainage infrastructure, rapid urbanization, and clogged waterways. Compounding the issue, rainfall patterns have shifted: while the number of rainy days has decreased, individual rainfall events now bring heavier downpours, raising the risk of flash floods. Polluted runoff from roads and rooftops has also worsened river water quality.

Hong cited KEPEA’s successful projects in Cebu, beginning with the 2010 ISWM pilot project at the DOST-7 headquarters, under the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP).

The initiative, which KEPEA designed and supervised, enabled stormwater and wastewater’s reuse for toilet flushing, irrigation, and cleaning. Similar systems were later adopted at Philippine Science High School and Zapatera Elementary School.

Hong expressed support for Mayor Archival’s rainwater harvesting and reuse policy, referencing successful ordinances in Seoul and Suwon, South Korea. He emphasized that ISWM can improve disaster preparedness, protect water resources, and enhance Cebu’s long-term urban resilience.

Hong also met with Medellin Mayor Edwin L. Salimbangon to discuss how ISWM can help address the municipality’s water scarcity concerns.

According to DOST-7 statement, their talks focused on municipal-wide solutions, such as capturing and reusing rainwater across schools, public facilities, and residential areas. Hong likewise conducted site visits to assess the feasibility of installing ISWM systems in Medellin.

Ahead of these engagements, Hong met with Dr. Tristan L. Abando, OIC of the DOST-7 Regional Office, to align key priorities and identify opportunities to scale ISWM across Central Visayas.

Hong reaffirmed KEPEA’s readiness to partner with Philippine stakeholders in developing sustainable, climate-resilient urban environments through integrated water management, policy collaboration, and technical expertise. — (FREEMAN)