Let’s start building a dam in Mananga River

For my special presentation on my talkshow “Straight from the Sky” we bring you a discussion about the water problem in Cebu. Too many people complain that we have a water crisis, but when the rains come when the summer is over these people are satisfied that God gives Cebuanos enough water for their needs. The reality today is Cebu’s water crisis is at a level that is more than just a crisis. If not solved by our current political leaders, we could end up having a severe water shortage all year long!

Tonight, we bring you a person whose love for Cebu brought in IT Park, which had no buildings or investors way back in 2003. So when he was with the Cebu Investment Promotion Center (CIPC) he introduced to Cebu the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry that has in less than a year produced so many investors erecting buildings in IT Park.

That put Cebu on the world map of the BPO industry. Today, the BPO phenomenon has reached Bacolod City, Dumaguete City, Cagayan de Oro, and even in Davao City. I’m referring to my old friend, Mr. Joel Mari Yu, formerly of CIPC, but today we are having him as the chairman of the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD).

If you folks recall, our main water problem was saltwater intrusion many years ago. Well, let me tell you what I learned from this interview; our water problem has become harder to solve because of too much water extraction, not just from MCWD, but private wells.

So when there is too much water extraction, our wells start to dry up and saltwater seeps into our water table. worst of all, many of our water pumps have nitrates, which means, water is no longer potable. As Yu pointed out, MCWD has shut down five major pumps because they are just too dirty to use.

The other problem we face is the over-building of condominiums by Manila-based companies that do not even know where to source water. So if we continue this crazy building construction, Cebu will soon have to look for water elsewhere.

Right now the best solution is to build a 300-foot dam in the Mananga River, but this cannot happen unless we move more than a thousand families living in that area. But this is a reality Cebu has to face.

So watch this show with Mr. Joel Yu of MCWD and waked up to the reality that Cebu’s water crisis is far bigger than what we previously believed. See it on SkyCable’s channel 53 at 8 p.m. with replays on Wednesday and Saturday same time and channel. We also have replays on MyTV’s channel 30 at 9 p.m. Monday and at 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday.

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We learned last week that the previous administration left P14 billion and $1 million, according to the cash report of the City Treasurer’s Office. This is a good thing. Former treasurer Arlene Rentuza said the amounts include money from the general fund, trust fund, and special education fund. The general fund is P11.5 billion, the trust fund is P1.4 billion, and the special education fund is P1.1 billion.

Mind you, the money in the general fund came from the P3.5 billion first installment payment from the firms that bought 45.5 hectares of the South Road Properties, the P3.2 billion second payment, and the P143 million interest. There is also the P98 million from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. account, among many other funds that are available in Cebu City.

Thus, it is unfortunate that despite all the monies that Cebu City has, there is no updated drainage master plan for Cebu City, which could guide the city government in the implementation of projects to address the perennial flooding problem.

We also learned from Engr. Kenneth Carmelita Enriquez, head of Department of Engineering and Public Works, that the current drainage master plan is already 15 years old and is no longer relevant to the present situation of the city.

Above all else, Cebu City needs to ensure its economic growth in the next 25 years by building a dam in the Mananga River in order for Cebu to be able to continue with its construction boom, and to ensure the water needs of the entire Cebu City. So let’s push for these priorities.