Mandaue launches Task Force APAS to help solve flooding concerns

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes (center) led the official launch of Task Force APAS on Thursday. | Mary Rose Sagarino

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – The Mandaue City Government has launched Task Force APAS (Atoang Problema, Atoang Sulbaron) to help solve the city’s flooding problems.

In a press conference on Thursday, October 5, Mayor Jonas Cortes said the task force will oversee the city’s response to flooding concerns.

“The essence of this task force nga ato nang usbon atoang mindset nga of being reactive. Wala pay baha, nga nakadeploy na ta sa atoang task force, equipment, water pump, personnal nga nakadeploy na sa strategic location,” said Cortes.

The task force is comprised of personnel from City Legal Office (CLO), City Administrator’s Office (CAO), and City Engineering Office (CEO), among others. It will be headed by City Legal Officer Atty. John Eddu Ibañez.

“Magconduct sad ta og dugang ocular inspection, kay sa initial namo nga ocular heavily silted na [ang atong mga drainage]. Magtuyok-tuyok ang task force kuyog sa engineering office paglimpyo sa mga imburnal. Dili sa ko ganahan mo-estorya samtang wala pa mi nabuhat. Let our results do the talking,” said Ibañez.

The task force will also be coordinating with other government offices and the city’s 27 barangays to streamline and hasten response to flooding concerns.

Clearing of Fish Pens inWetland

During the gathering, the task force also mentioned of the need to remove fish pens from wetlands that are found in Barangays Banilad and Cabancalan as a flood-control measure.

Architect Marlo Ocleasa, head of the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO), said that the wetland in these areas were already heavily silted.

Ocleasa explained that wetlands are supposed to function as a catch basins that holds rain and run-off water coming from neighboring areas like Cebu City.

But those that are located in Barangays Banilad and Cabancalan, that has an area of146,270 square meters, are already very silted.  The presence of silt prevents these wetlands from serving its purpose.

“Palawman kay silted naman sad siya, nigamay ang iyaha’ng elevation ba. Lawm man kaayo na sauna,” said Ocleasa.

“Ang capacity man gud sa atoang gitan-aw, kung ma-clear na siya ang silt, ma-improve nato ang iyaha’ng waterway dako gyud siya og tabang, ma-mitigate nato ang baha dili na ingun ana ka daghan sa tubig nga modagan ngadto sa rolling hills,” he added.

Fishponds in these areas will also have to be removed.

Dredging operations

The wetland in Barangay Banilad is located just at the back of the Sto. Niño Village, which serves as the boundary between the cities of Cebu and Mandaue.

Sto. Niño Village experienced massive flooding last September 13 after the retaining wall of the nearby fish pond collapsed.

CEO personnel have already started to dredge the wetland there. Dredging and clearing operations are expected to be complete soon.

While the area was  privately owned, there exist a city ordinance that identifies said place as a wetland, thus prohibiting building construction there.

The establishment of a mini fishpond was also prohibited there.

Moreover, the city also plans to direct people who stay in the area to grow aquarium fish and other kinds of fish, like tilapia that they sell, to already vacate the area.

“Atoa sad sila i-compensate. Atoa sila hatagan og assistance nga makapangita sad sila og laing panginabuhian,” Cortes said.

Drainage masterplan

In addition to the creation of Task Force APAS, the Mandaue City government was also set to implement various projects that will hopefully improve the city’s drainage system.  These include the conduct of massive clean-up drives, rehabilitation of rivers, removal of structures that obstruct the waterways, and the installation of bigger culverts, among others.

So far, projects worth P1.5 billion have already been implemented as part of the city’s drainage master plan, the total cost of which was valued at P5 billion.

Atty. Jamaal James Calipayan, the Mandaue City Administrator, admitted that their implementation of drainage projects is sometimes faced with delays especially if the project will have to pass through private properties.

“Ang atoang projects, usually gyud ang problema ang right of way. Lisod kaayo ang negotiation in fact we are starting to consider, niya nahatag na sad ang order ni Mayor to use the power of eminent domain, kung gikinahanglan ani’ng mga structures nga maagian sa atoang drainage kay it is not just about sa construction sa mga drainage, usuhay musugot atoang agianan nga motukod but later on dili na kasulod kay private property, naay warehouse, unsa man gani,” he said.

“Amoang gipaninguha nga on top of the consent, naa pod tay i-contact nga regular clean up kung musugot sad ni atoang kaubanan so dili lang pod, nga mogasto pa ang siyudad, mo -expropriate pa, mobayad pa sila og improvements at the same time permi nato malimpyuhan ang mga drainage,” Calipayan added.

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