Cebu City Disaster Council chief pushes for establishment of rainwater catchments
Lawyer Gerry Carillo, chairperson Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council | CDN Digital File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Lawyer Gerry Carillo, who also heads the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC), is pushing for the establishment of rainwater catchments, as one of the infrastructure-related solutions to the City’s flooding problems.
While the City’s works on reclaiming the three-meter easement in its waterways from encroachment are ongoing, Carillo also emphasized the advantages that rainwater catchments can provide.
Read: Affected families hope Cebu City sticks to relocation promise as easement clearing ops begin
During a media forum hosted by MyTV on Tuesday, August 9, 2022, in a hotel in Cebu City, Carillo said having rainwater catchments will not only help lessen flooding, but can also help lower water rates, especially with the impending water rate increase to be implemented by the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD).
“Water is an important resource. Sauna, mag-ampo gani atong mga tawo nga mag-ulan. Pero karon, inig ulan og kusog, magmahay ta kay perteng bahaa. Actually, we just need to implement some infrastructure. One is clearing of three-meter easement from the river unya we need to have catchment,” he said.
“Now, kung ato ng i-capture didto pa lang sa ibabaw, dili na na muabot diri sa ubos, unya i-process ug ihatod (sell) ngadto sa MCWD, we will have more cheaper water… we can still maintain cheaper water if we are able to harvest this water,” he added.
LOOK: The downpour experienced in most parts of Metro Cebu resulted in waist-high floods. | via Paul Lauro
Read: Higher water rates loom in Metro Cebu
Aside from this, Carillo has also called on both the public and private owners of buildings and infrastructures in the City to have water impounding areas in their properties.
He specifically enjoined subdivisions, schools, and hotels, among others to have their water impounding facilities, as he also suggested creating impounding ponds in highland barangays of the City.
Carillo said he also had initial talks with some personalities who, he said, are willing to collect and process rainwater that will be stored in rainwater catchments and impounding areas.
“They are willing nga magpadagan sila og truck. Magbutang lang ta’g impounding area dinhi sa atong dakbayan nga mudagayday ang tubig didto, ilang suyopon during the time. Ilang i-process ug ibutang ngadto sa lugar nga diin ma impound ang tubig ug ibaligya sa MCWD,” he explained.
Carillo also appealed to the public to dispose of their wastes properly, especially since they noted that residents of makeshift houses and even buildings encroaching on the three-meter easement are also the main source of the garbages that clogged the City’s waterways.
He said around 15,000 households are living within the three-meter easement in various rivers in the City, including the Bulacao River, Kinalumsan River, Guadalupe River, Lahug River, Mahiga River, and in Budlaan, Talamban, with the majority of them staying near Guadalupe River.
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