Additional: Mandaue eyes flood measures for Barangay school

CEBU, Philippines — The Mandaue City government is pursuing a long-term solution to the persistent flooding at Mayor A.S. Fortuna Memorial Elementary School in Barangay Guizo while implementing temporary measures to lessen the impact on students and nearby residents.

Mayor Thadeo Jovito Ouano, along with the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) and City Engineering Office, personally inspected the school yesterday morning, August 3, following last week’s flooding that stranded students inside the campus.

“Niari gyud ta, nitan-aw gyud ta sa actual nga sitwasyon,” Ouano said.

The mayor said the flooding problem in the area has existed for decades, noting that the school has been vulnerable since at least 2004 because it sits on a low-lying area beside the heavily silted Tipolo Creek.

“A few months back, I was already informed by the previous principal that this school is flood-prone,” he said.

Ouano said that upon knowing the situation, the city had already allocated P2.7 million for a drainage improvement project. However, the original design is now being revised after engineers determined that the proposed drainage alignment through the center of the school would affect future infrastructure plans.

School principal Karem Bolok said the initial proposal was to construct the drainage line through the middle of the campus.

“Ang una nga plan is sa center sa school muagi but na-realize nga maka-add og gymnasium sa school and maguba man, maong adto na lang sa gawas ipaagi,” Bolok said.

According to Ouano, one of the major factors worsening flooding is the narrowing of the creek caused by structures built beside it.

He said city engineers measured a portion of the waterway that originally had an opening of around five to six meters but has been reduced to only about half a meter due to obstructions.

“Kato ang pinaka-worst didto kay instead of five meters ang opening, half a meter na lang ang agianan sa tubig, so wa na gyud toy gamit didto dapita,” Ouano said.

The mayor said the city is looking at dredging Tipolo Creek as the long-term solution to improve water flow, although he acknowledged that such a project would take time and would require assistance from the national government.

“Magpatabang ta sa national government. Naa man sad budget ang city pero dili ni siya madali. Kinahanglan gyud ta og dredging,” he said.

Ouano said he plans to seek assistance from Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, particularly for heavy equipment that could be used for dredging operations.

In the meantime, the city is putting in place temporary interventions to reduce flooding in the area.

These include deploying a water pump at the school, installing PVC pipes from the school grounds to the creek to improve drainage, and continuing declogging and cleanup operations.

However, Ouano admitted that pumping alone will not completely solve the problem during high tide.

“Ang atong temporary solution naa ni atong pump karon ibutang ni didto sa atubangan. Mu-pump ang tubig diri pero kung high tide, walay kagawasan ang tubig, mu-backflow gihapon siya,” he said.

The city is also coordinating with residents living beside the creek to clear blocked waterways underneath portions of their homes where concrete structures have restricted the natural flow of water.

Ouano estimated that around 30 to 50 houses are situated along the affected portion of the creek.

“Muhangyo ta nila nga magtinabangay. This is a shared responsibility nga manglimpyo sad sila. Atong buhaton karon matagaan lang og temporary solution while we work on the permanent solution aning problema diri sa Mayor A.S. Fortuna Elementary School,” he said.

He added that some portions beneath houses may need to be opened to restore the waterway but assured residents that the work is intended only to allow water to pass through.

Resident Gilda Arong, who has lived in the area since 2002, expressed support for the city’s plan.

“Uyon ra mi kay palawman raman nila ang sapa,” she said.

Another resident, Rubi Lintag, said flooding has long been a problem in the community.

“Sauna pa man ni,” Lintag said.

Ouano also appealed to barangay officials and residents to continue regular cleanup and declogging activities while the city works on the larger flood mitigation project. He reiterated that addressing flooding in Mandaue City will not happen overnight but assured residents that the local government remains committed to implementing permanent solutions.

To recall, last Thursday, July 30, several students were stranded inside Mayor A.S. Fortuna Memorial Elementary School after floodwaters rapidly rose on the campus. Personnel from the Mandaue CDRRMO, with assistance from the Guizo Barangay Emergency Response Team, evacuated the students using rubber boats.

The following day, July 31, the school also announced an early dismissal after another round of heavy rainfall caused flooding in the area. — (FREEMAN)