Flooding hits Dumaguete: City exec calls for drainage cleanup

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Major thoroughfares in this city have experienced partial flooding, and even the Freedom Park fronting the Capitol was also inundated although the rains subsided late Wednesday afternoon.

The City Disaster Office and Rescue 348, as well as the Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) buckled down to work that day and responded to reports of flooding in certain streets and other areas of the city where drainage system overflowed due to heavy rains.

Also, the teams were on standby alert as waters rose at the Banica River with the spillways in Candauay overflowed.

City Administrator William Ablong said the city government has a de-clogging team of 21 personnel from the ENRO that regularly conducts cleaning activities of the canals and drainage systems in the city, but he said that they could not keep up with the demands, considering the scope of works covers 30 barangays in the city.

Ablong has appealed to the public to cooperate in efforts to avoid clogging of canals and other similar drainage systems in the city to avoid future flooding. 

The public can help prevent the overflowing or clogging of canals if they stop indiscriminate throwing of plastic materials or trash anywhere, said Ablong, adding that the drainage along Silliman Avenue may be clogged as shown during the downpour.

Ablong promised to have the area cleaned up immediately yesterday, but he reminded households to practice segregation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable garbage and dispose of  these properly. (FREEMAN)