‘Synchronized’ flood response eyed in Mandaue City

| MCPO photo

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Authorities in Mandaue City plan to implement a synchronized and coordinated response to flooding, especially if this would affect the flow of traffic in thoroughfares here.

Measures were discussed during a gathering on Thursday, Sept. 14, by officials of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO), Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

Police Lieutenant Colonel Franco Rudolf Oriol, deputy city director for administration and MCPO spokesperson, said that the government agencies involved agreed on the need for better coordination to allow faster emergency response.

ALSO READ: Floods hit some areas in Mandaue, Cebu cities

Each will also be assigned different responsibilities to ensure the proper distribution of personnel during their deployment on flood-affected areas.

During the meeting, they decided to put their focus especially on the five ‘areas of concern’ or the flood-prone streets in Mandaue City.  These are A.C. Cortes Avenue, U.N. Avenue, Lopez Jaena Street in Barangay Tipolo, part of M.C. Briones Street located near Innodata in Barangay Subangdaku, and A.S. Fortuna St. in Barangay Banilad.

Redirect traffic

Oriol said it was agreed during their meeting that TEAM personnel will already be deployed on these areas as soon as a rainfall advisory is released, based on the advise from CDRRMO that also monitors weather updates.

As soon as floodwater starts to rise, TEAM personnel will close the affected roads and redirect vehicular traffic to alternative routes.

“With this meeting, amoang gilauman nga makab-ot namo ang mas paspas ug mas ma-manage namo ang traffic situation in Mandaue mugna sa pagbaha,” said Oriol.

He said that plans were also in place if there was a need to respond to flooding in residential areas.

ALSO READ: Photos and videos of flooding in Metro Cebu

Stalled vehicles

CDRRMO Head Buddy Alain Ybañez said some motorists continue to use flooded roads. Their stalled vehicles end up contributing to traffic congestion.

“Kung ma stall ang vehicle, usa ka kuyaw ana, naa sila sa sulod sa ila’ng sakyanan. Then, we need to rescue them. When the water subsides ilaha’ng sakyanan nga naa sa tunga kinahanglan i-tow. So, dugay na sad mabalik ang flow sa traffic kay nakabara naman. Maayo unta dili lang na ma-minimize kundi ma-eliminate na nga problem,” said Ybañez.

Ybañez also raised a concern on some people who like to swim in floodwaters, which he said was very dangerous.

This practice was especially common along Lopez Jaena Street, he said.

Ybañez said that these people would also wait for stalled vehicles to offer their assistance to the driver in exchange for cash. / dcb

ALSO READ: Floods caused by heavy rains, clogged drainages in Cebu says CCDRRMO