‘Finger-pointing no way to solve Cebu City’s drainage problem’

Cebu City officials should sit down and work together to resolve the city’s perennial drainage problem rather than engage in finger-pointing, Councilor Margot Osmeña said yesterday.

In her privilege speech at yesterday’s City Council session, Osmeña said “playing the blame game” won’t help the city resolve its drainage problems.

“If there are clarifications needed then please let us sit down and discuss. After all, we are one council as our own Vice Mayor Edgar Labella stated and together with the executive department, we serve one city,” Osmeña said.

The City Council approved resolutions authorizing Mayor Michael Rama to enter into contracts for P15 million worth of drainage projects within the city.

The funds were sourced from the 2012 lump sum appropriation for drainage projects in the city worth P100 million.

Re-aligned

Still Osmeña, who chairs the council’s budget committee, said several budget appropriations dating to as far back in 2010 remain unimplemented.

She said most lump sum appropriations for drainage have not been obligated.

She earlier said the specific drainage projects from the P100 million budget were only endorsed to the City Council this year.

Another P52 million for 2013 and P100 million for this year have not been obligated, Osmeña said.

She said the City Council approved P400 million worth of lump sum appropriations for drainage projects this year but P300 million was re-aligned as fund source for the Supplemental Budget 1 this year.

Lump sum

The councilor said based on the fund source for the P325 million SB1 this year, P300 million was sourced from the approved lump sum budget for drainage projects.

The P300 million was supposed to be used for the purchase of lots for river improvement (P20 million), repair or construction of drainage system (P200 million) and Right of Way Acquisition (ROWA) and structures for repairs and construction of drainage system (P80 million).

The council agreed to hold an executive session with representatives of the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW), City Treasurer’s Office, City Accountant’s Office, City Administrator, City Planning and Development Office and the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC)-infrastructure on Sept. 12.

They asked the DEPW to prepare and present an updated status report on all drainage projects, both from the general fund and local development fund.

For his part, lawyer Joey Daluz III, who heads the Cebu City River Management Council (CCRMC), said they prepared an initial list of eight big businesses that encroached on the three-meter easement of the Mahiga River.

Notices

“We’re talking about hundreds of structures that have encroached on the Mahiga River alone. Most are residential structures, but there are 50 businesses,” he said.

The City Legal Office is set to issue notices of violation to the establishments by next week.

“We will ask them how they can help in removing their obstruction. If they will cooperate, we’ll give them a time frame to comply. If not, we will issue a notice to remove and we will go to court.

We are serious in going after them and we are ready to combat them legally,” Daluz said.

In Mandaue City, Mayor Jonas Cortes said they allocated P151 million for road repair and drainage system rehabilitation.

Asst. Mandaue City Engineer, Andres Suson said they finished rehabilitating nearly half of the city’s drainage system.

The city has identified 54 flood-areas, including AS Fortuna St., Hernan St., MC Briones, and the highway in Subangdaku area.

Cortes said they will invite owners of establishments to ask for cooperation in the rehabilitation of the drainage system in their areas.

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