Council seeks DPWH update on flood control projects

THE Cebu City Council is asking the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to update the city on the status of the flood control projects in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue scheduled to be implemented by the agency this year.

“There is a need for this council to inquire or to be enlightened by the agency on the implementation stages or status of these projects to find out if there shall be any assistance needed or counterpart to be undertaken,” said Cebu City Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairman of the committee on Infrastructure and Urban Planning, in a resolution approved by the City Council during last week’s regular session.

The resolution also sought to invite DPWH officials to the Sept. 6 session to give the City Council an update on these flood control projects.

Guardo was also referring to the DPWH’s P731-million flood control projects in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue under the General Appropriation Act of 2016.

These projects include the P422-million flood control and drainage improvement in Barangays Bulacao, Kinalumsan, Guadalupe, Lahug in Cebu City; and Barangay Subangdaku in Mandaue City River basins.

There is also a P70-million Kinalumsan River Flood Control Project and the P96-million Tejero Channel Improvement Project.

Guardo said these projects would be implemented by the DPWH Unified project Management Office-Flood Control Management Cluster (UPMO-FCMC).

He also said that aside from having drainage projects, there may be other ways that the local government unit could be of help to minimize flooding in the city.

He cited last month’s heavy downpour which resulted to widespread flooding in Metro Cebu, particularly in Cebu City.

He said that the DPWH and Cebu City’s Department of Engineering and Public Works attributed the flooding to clogged waterways and blocked drainage systems as the cause of the flooding.