A demo test was conducted on Tuesday for the suction machines that will be soon rented by the City Government. | Charles Villagonzalo/PIO via Task Force Gubat sa Baha
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City will never be spared from flooding during the rainy season. That’s the harsh reality that every city resident must accept and endure.
Because of this, the City Government is eyeing to rent mechanical suction machines that will be used in desilting its clogged rivers and waterways.
On Tuesday, a suction machine was tested at the Tabacalera Bridge in Estero de Parian, and according to the City’s PIO, the ‘initiative was undertaken to mitigate flooding risk and enhance river dredging efficiency in the area.’
The suction machines will be able to suck sand and garbage which are the main causes of clogging and eventually flooding when it rains.
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Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, Councilor Jerry Guardo, and chief of Task Force Gubat sa Baha Mel Feliciano attended the testing operations on Tuesday to check the capability of the machine.
By the end of August, the City is hoping to start the desilting operations in Cebu City rivers.
As of Tuesday, Garcia said they are already waiting for the “action” of the Bids and Awards Committee “on the proposed purchase” for the “declogging machine for our waterways.”
“But, while that is pending, ang atong Department of Engineering and Public Works padayon sad sa ilang pagtrabaho sa atong mga drainage systems to address flooding. But the sustainable solution is for us [to] recognize that flooding is a shared challenge and that, while we, as individual residents of Cebu City, can sometimes be part of the problem, we can also be part of the solution,” Garcia said.
“Dili basurahan ang atong mga kasapaan ug waterways,” he added.
Moreover, according to the Task Force Gubat sa Baha, Garcia clarified that the City will only rent the equipment from the company and the payment will be measured based on the weight of the garbage collected.
The Task Force said that this was because no one from the City Hall knows how to operate the machine.
In a phone interview with Feliciano, he confirmed that the City will only rent a mechanical suction machines with the assurance that it would work.
“Test daan before mo decide nga e rent… So far okay naman unya ang bayran ang man sa City is the volume [of garbage] so way problema. Ang ilahang operations, sila nay bahala how to do it efficiently, effectively,” Feliciano said.“Pag testing [gahapon], okay naman. Maka desilt gyud siya,” he added.
Based on their agreement, the Task Force said that the company will first have the operations at the Estero de Parian which is believed to be the usual cause of flooding in the downtown area and nearby areas.