CEBU, PHILIPPINES — The Mandaue City Council is seeking a comprehensive accounting of all flood control and drainage projects in the city following the massive flooding that inundated low-lying communities during last week’s heavy rains.
Councilor Carlo Fortuna has filed a resolution urging the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Mandaue City Engineering Office to submit and present before the City Council a detailed status report on all completed, ongoing and proposed flood prevention and mitigation projects.
“Atong tuyo niana is we want to find out from the Department of Public Works and Highways whether the proposed and ongoing projects are sufficient and efficient enough to really address the flooding problem sa city,” Fortuna said in an interview.
The councilor said the recent downpour transformed portions of the national highway in Barangays Subangdaku and Tipolo, A.S. Fortuna Street in Barangay Banilad, and A.C. Cortes Avenue near the foot of the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge in Barangay Looc into what he described as “impassable rivers.”
He said the flooding caused extensive property damage, displaced residents, stranded commuters, and disrupted business activities and traffic throughout the city.
Fortuna noted that the DPWH commissioned consultants in 2017 to prepare a master drainage plan for Metro Cebu.
According to the plan, Cebu City, Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City were identified as flood-prone areas, with the Subangdaku River in Mandaue City listed as the top priority for intervention.
“Mao na atong tan-awon kung base ba sa plano sa DPWH ang ongoing flood mitigation project nila, consistent ba sa master plan nga ilang gi-develop in 2017,” said Fortuna.
He added that the master plan proposed interventions designed to divert excess water and reduce flooding across the city.
“This will be an invitation for them to appear before the council para maka-explain bitaw sila,” said Fortuna, adding that the hearing would give government engineers an opportunity to address questions surrounding the recent flooding incidents.
Fortuna said the repeated inundation of major thoroughfares raises concerns about the effectiveness of existing flood control measures despite substantial public investments in infrastructure.
“The recurring nature of these severe floods on primary roads serves as an undeniable testament that current flood prevention, drainage, and mitigation measures are either insufficient, failing, or fail to keep pace with the City’s rapid urban development,” he said.
He also underscored the need for greater transparency and accountability, saying residents have the right to know what measures government agencies are taking to address the city’s persistent flooding problem.
If approved, the resolution will require the DPWH and the City Engineer’s Office to submit a written report and appear before the City Council during its next regular session.
The report will include a complete inventory of all flood control, drainage and river-widening projects undertaken over the past five years, including their budgets, locations and structural design capacities.
The agencies will also be asked to provide updates on all ongoing and proposed projects, including their implementation status, timelines, budget allocations and target completion dates.
In addition, the council is seeking a technical explanation on why flood control infrastructure in heavily affected areas such as Tipolo, Subangdaku, A.C. Cortes Avenue and A.S. Fortuna Street failed to cope with the volume of rainfall during the July 30 downpour.
The proposed resolution also calls for the submission of engineering blueprints and a long-term flood mitigation master plan aimed at permanently addressing flooding in the city’s low-lying barangays.
“Atong imbitahon para makasabot ta nganong hangtod karon mao gihapon na ang problema ug nisamot pa gyud hinuon,” said Fortuna.
Written by Kristin de Dios/FPL
