City Council wants update on flood control projects

CEBU, Philippines - Officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Engineering and Public Works have been invited by the members of the Cebu City Council to an executive session next month to discuss the city's flood control measures.

 Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairman of the committee on infrastructure and urban planning, sought the presence of the public works and engineering officials on September 6 for the council to be enlightened on the status of the P700 million flood control measures of the city.

Guardo said he wanted to know if these projects can be incorporated in the drainage master plan.

"There is a need for this Sangguniang Panlungsod to inquire or to be enlightened by the said agency on the implementation stages (status) of these projects to find out if there shall be any assistance needed or counterpart to be undertaken," the resolution reads.

Guardo said that on July 1, parts of Metro Cebu area, especially Cebu City, was under water as floods from a heavy downpour inundated major roadways, clogged waterways, rendered intersections impassable, and has paralyzed public transport with thousands of commuters stranded due to floodwaters.

"Authorities like the DPWH and DEPW have singled out the clogged waterways and blocked drainages as the main culprits of the crippling floods," the resolution reads.

Guardo said there are other officials who attributed the flooding to the presence of garbage dumped by informal settlers living near the waterways.

He said the DPWH is set to implement a total of P731 million flood control projects in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue under the General Appropriations Act of 2016.

These include the P422 million flood control projects in Barangays Bulacao, Kinalumsan, Guadalupe, Lahug, and Subangdaku River Basins; P70 million Kinalumsan River Flood control project, and the P96 million Tejero Channel Improvement Project.

"There is already an approved budget from DPWH on flood control project for Cebu City amounting to P700m plus. We just want the DPWH to coordinate with the city engineer in the implementation of the said project in line with our JICA study on the proposed drainage masterplan," Guardo said.

He said the city government through the City Council is willing to help the national government in implementing plans and programs that would benefit Cebuanos.  (FREEMAN)