Samsam promises to address Talisay City’s flooding problems

The heavy downpour on Friday night flooded parts of Metro Cebu including Talisay City in the southern part of Cebu province. /CDND File Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Hip-deep flooding affected residents of Barangay Bulacao, Talisay City when it rained on Friday night, June 14.

Outgoing first district Rep. and Mayor-elect Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas V said reports have reached his office that several other parts of the city were also submerged in floodwaters.

“I would like to apologize for whatever discomfort or problem that were felt by our constituents and those passing by Talisay City just to get to their respective homes,” Gullas said in a message which he posted on his Facebook page past 1 p.m. today, June 15.

Talisay City Mayor-elect Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas V / CDND File Photo

Gullas said that he already called Engineer Leslie Anthony Molina, head of the Second Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas (DPWH-7), to report the Friday night flooding that especially affected national roads that are located in their city.

Molina, he said, gave the assurance that he will coordinate with project contractors in Talisay City to determine the cause of the flooding problem.

“This is a priority following PAGASA’s announcement last Friday of the formal start of the rainy season, it will be expected that flooding will be a usual occurrence in our city if we fail to address the drainage problem immediately,” said Gullas on his FB post.

“I want to know how DPWH plans to address flooding in our national roads especially in Bulacao where they recently concluded a drainage project there and what remedies can they implement within those areas to prevent another flooding incident to happen. I assure DPWH that the Talisay City government will coordinate with them on addressing this problem,” he added.

Gullas said the Talisay City government will also be conducting their own investigation to determine the cause of the Friday night flooding.  He does not discount the possibility that plastic garbage may have already clogged the drainage system in Barangay Bulacao.

“I assure our constituents that we are doing our best to solve the matter and make sure that future flooding incidents in the city are prevented,” he said.

Gullas said that they were also faced with a similar problem a few weeks ago when rainwater also flooded a portion of a food strip at the Cebu South Coastal Road. But this was immediately addressed after the city government coordinated with DPWH-7.

“We hope to see that same dynamics in solving the flooding situation in Barangay Bulacao,” he said.