Clearing of waterways in Cebu City’s south district starts

The Cebu City government has already started the removal of structures that encroach the waterways in Barangay Mambaling. | Photo Courtesy of Councilor Jerry Guardo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City government on Wednesday, August 19, started the removal of structures that were encroaching waterways in at least three barangays in the city’s south district.

Councilor Jerry Guardo, the City Council’s committee on infrastructure chairperson, said that among those that were removed were stairs and home extensions that already covered canals and other waterways.

“Kung dili ni nato tangtangon, di gyod masulbad ang baha. Magbalik-balik ra gyod,” Guardo said in an interview with CDN Digital.

(If we don’t remove these structures now, we will never be able to address flooding problems.  This kind of problem will keep on recurring.)

Since the demolished structures were illegally built, its owners will not qualify for assistance from City Hall, Guardo said.

Personnel of the city’s Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification, and Enhancement (PROBE) team visited Barangays Basak Pardo, Basak San Nicolas, and Mambaling starting at around 8 a.m. this Wednesday, August 19, to work on the removal of structures that encroached waterways despite the opposition of some affected residents.

Guardo said they needed to work on the removal of illegal structures and restore the original size of waterways especially now that the rainy season has started.

Christian Villalon, 25, said that flooding has been a perennial problem in their community in Barangay Basak Pardo in the last three decades.  The water level rises even with light to moderate raining.

Jennie Cuestas, for her part, said she agreed to have their veranda demolished as a contribution to addressing the flooding problem in their area.

Villalon and Cuestas are neighbors in Basak Pardo.

Cuestas said their veranda that was built above the stream was already there when they bought their house 10 years ago.

Another neighbor, Edwin Fernandez, had to transfer their stairs to another located after this was demolished by PROBE for encroaching a canal.

Guardo is urging barangay officials to report to the Office of the Building Officials (OBO) the presence of structures within their respective jurisdiction that obstruct waterways so these can be removed. / dcb