Japan consultants say Cebu drainage plans need update

Fifty percent of Metro Cebu’s drainage lines are either silted or clogged by garbage.

The four main cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay and Lapu-Lapu have drainage plans, but these are “old” and poorly implemented, according to Japanese consultants, who are helping prepare a road map for Metro Cebu’s urban development.

In a hurry to address flooding, city officials run the risk of putting in new infrastructure based on data that is no longer valid, the study suggested.

“There are existing drainage master plans but they are old and have not been updated. So, construction of new drainage pipes based on an existing master plan has risk in which flooding mitigated and addressed in one area may simply create a problem in another area, if the whole reach of the channel is not considered,” said consultants of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in its second interim report in August.

Highlights were given in a briefing last month to officials.

JICA consultants hold office in the Capitol building as part of technical assistance for Mega Cebu, a two-year-old initiative of the Cebu private sector and government to guide sustained growth in the metropolis.

Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III yesterday said street flooding, which is becoming more frequent after a downpour, needs to be addressed beyond boundaries of a city or town.

He said towns and cities need to come together for future implementation.

“Part of JICA’s study for Mega Cebu is a drainage master plan. The cooperation of the cities is needed to address the problem of flooding. One thing is sure: we need a master drainage plan for Metro Cebu,” said the governor.

After a two-hour downpour last week left streets under water in Cebu City, Mayor Michael Rama said he wants to call a summit on flooding to revisit the city’s drainage plans.

Flooding was only one aspect of the interim report presented by JICA, which noted that fooding in Metro Cebu has become more frequent and severe over the last five years.

The second interim report for “The Roadmap Study for Sustainable Urban Development in Metro Cebu” was presented to private and government members of the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB) led by Governor Davide as chairman and Roberto Aboitiz as vice chairman for the private sector.

The study said Lapu-Lapu City has only 25 percent of the city’s road networks connected to drainage lines.

JICA said natural waterways in Metro Cebu are “constricted and reduced to limited sizes since structures are built on top of it.”

Lack of functioning drainage systems in the metropolis was cited one of the causes of recurring floods.

“On the other hand, existing rivers, creeks, and drainages don’t take full advantage of their capacities because of garbage littered by residents, deposited solids, and illegal occupations. So, the cleaning works for rivers, creeks, and drainages should be implemented,” it recommended.

It would cost millions of pesos to implement all drainage projects that will be recommended in the study, which need national funding by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The Mega Cebu board has already submitted to DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson a reference document on the issues on drainage and flooding, as well as Terms of Reference for an Integrated Drainage and Stormwater Management Masterplan.

“Once that study gets started, it will take a year to a year-and-a-half , on a best case scenario basis – to be completed,” said Evelyn Nacario Castro, executive director of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), which serves as the secretariat of the MCDCB.

Secretariat Singson expressed support for this in a meeting in 2013 but said he wants a foreign consultant to oversee the master plan.

“There are several proposals on what can be done for flooding but it is important to have a study or master plan to ensure that recommendations are based on evidence and assisted by experts,” Castro told Cebu Daily News.

The JICA study will cover competitiveness enhancement, urban structure and land use, urban transport and highway network, water supply and disposal management and solid waste management.

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