P200 milllion flood project soon

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has allocated P200 million for a major drainage project in Cebu City’s South District and pledged to deploy excavation equipment to clear clogged tributaries as soon as possible.

Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, told reporters that during a meeting with Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, Rep. Eduardo Rama, and Mayor Nestor Archival, Rama revealed that the DPWH had allocated the funds for the construction of a large canal along L. Gabuya Street in Tagunol, Basak San Nicolas.

The canal is designed to carry rainwater from five barangays toward Basak Pardo, easing the burden on communities that have long endured recurring floods.

“Magsugod na gyud ni karon tuiga kay naa na man sab ang pundo,” Tumulak said, stressing that the project would finally provide relief to residents along Highway Tagunol.

He explained that the canal would allow water to flow faster, preventing the backflow that has repeatedly submerged roads and stranded motorists.

“Matuman na gyud ang gipangandoy sa mga tawo,” he added, pointing to years of frustration among affected communities.

As an immediate intervention, Archival, who met with DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon last week, told reporters that the national government would also send two small excavators to Cebu within the week.

The equipment will be deployed to desilt and clear choke points in eight tributaries that have been narrowed by siltation and garbage.

“Ingon nako bisag ma-desilt mi, diha ra gyud sa baba, o di ba kaha sa kilid sa bridge,” Archival explained, noting that clearing choke points is crucial to restoring water flow and reducing the risk of flash floods.

He emphasized that while engineering solutions are vital, residents’ cooperation in properly disposing of their waste remains equally important.

The announcement followed Dizon’s inspection of flood-prone areas in Kinasang-an and Basak Pardo, where drainage bottlenecks have worsened flooding during heavy rains.

Dizon’s latest visit came after massive inundations in late July, when floodwaters rose to unprecedented levels in Barangays Lahug, Guadalupe, Ermita, and Zapatera, and overtopped a footbridge in San Nicolas Proper for the first time since Typhoon Odette. Garbage carried downstream worsened the flooding, highlighting how improper waste disposal continues to choke waterways.

Archival earlier issued Executive Order No. 081, Series of 2026, creating the Cebu City River Desilting and Clean-Up Task Force.

The task force is mandated to desilt, declog, and rehabilitate major rivers and creeks, including the Butuanon, Guadalupe, Lahug, Mahiga, Kinalumsan, Tejero, and Manalili, where assessments revealed heavy siltation, indiscriminate dumping, and encroachments within the three-meter easement zones.

Dizon, who has repeatedly emphasized the need for Metro Manila-scale drainage modernization in Cebu, also inspected ongoing rehabilitation efforts in other flood-prone areas.

His earlier visits included the redesign of flood mitigation structures along the Mananga River in Talisay City, where concrete barriers were replaced with gabion walls and drainage systems as part of a nature-based resilience program. (CEBU NEWS)