Cebu City flooding: ‘I’m not Superman’ – Raymond Garcia admits
A photo taken along Osmeña Boulevard on the rainy afternoon of August 1, when a strong downpour hit Cebu City. | CDN Photo/ Pia Piquero
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Recent intermittent yet heavy downpours have led to massive flooding in some areas in Metro Cebu.
Despite extensive efforts to mitigate flooding, Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia acknowledged the limitations of his capacity to address the persistent Cebu City flooding.
“I am not Superman,” Garcia said in an interview on Friday, August 2.
“Two and a half months into my role, I am not Superman. If it were possible to fix everything immediately, I would. However, what is crucial are our short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals,” he added.
On July 25, when asked about Cebu City’s preparedness for a storm of the same intensity as Super Typhoon Carina, he responded that the city government is already taking measures.
He stated that they are developing a comprehensive master drainage plan to address Cebu City flooding, which is expected to cost billions.
Garcia said that the master drainage plan, deemed by many as long overdue, includes building gabion dams or mini dams in upland areas to control water flow.
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Short-term strategies
Meanwhile, among the short-term strategies, Garcia said, are declogging and desilting using both mechanized and manual systems.
Recently, the Cebu City Government tested a mechanized desilting machine, with a rental budget of P100 million allocated for its use. These machines are designed to desilt narrow riverbeds that heavy equipment cannot access.
“Kana, ato ng nabuhat. Wala pa na masugdan, I want to make sure that before we give them the service contract, I want to make sure nga mu work jud ang ilahang desilting machines,” Garcia said.
Medium to long-term strategies
For medium- to long-term solutions, creating mini and gabion dams in the city’s upland areas are eyed.
On July 10, the Cebu City Council approved a resolution from Councilor Jerry Guardo, chairman of the committee on infrastructure, requesting Garcia to allocate funds for the construction of dams based on a proposal from the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW).
The City Council has approved P149 million for dam construction in the city’s upland areas, with the funding now pending approval from the acting mayor.
Both the executive and legislative branches of the Cebu City Government have stressed the urgent need for these dams to address ongoing Cebu Cebu flooding issues and the water shortage exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon.
The resolution indicated that on June 27, 2024, Engineer Ma. Lilibeth Del Mar, head of the planning and design division at DEPW, detailed the proposed dam construction, estimated at P149 million, in a letter.
This funding was to come from the General Fund 2023 Special Account for Environmental Flood Control, but that account has since been defunded. The resolution notes that DEPW has already identified 13 sites along the Pulangbato River for the dams.
Garcia noted the need for regular coordination with the Task Force Gubat sa Baha and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to monitor these initiatives.
“As I always sa, what is important now, is galihok ta, we are already starting to implement this now, di pareha sauna nga meeting ra, meeting nasad net month, asa may padulngan?” he said.
Garcia expressed hope that, despite his limited tenure of six months, the next administration will continue and build upon the efforts he has initiated to address the flooding issues in the city.
Previously, Mel Feliciano, Chief Implementer of the Task Force Gubat sa Baha, indicated that the P100 million allocated for the desilting machines would be drawn from the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office’s budget.
The machines, supplied by Innomech Tooling and Engineering Services, represent the city’s first mechanized approach to river desilting, though current funding only covers rental costs.
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COA reports
In the Commission on Audit (COA) 2023 report, Cebu City was flagged for failing to recover an “excessive” advance payment made in 2021 for a delayed drainage project in the South District.
In its audit report, COA raised concerns about a contract awarded to a Manila-based contractor on April 19, 2021, as part of the City’s flood control program. This contract involved designing and constructing drainage mains on several Cebu City streets.
The contractor received a 15 percent mobilization fund of P199.323 million in 2021 for the design phase of the P1.3 billion project. The project was to cover areas including Cabreros St.-N. Bacalso Ave.-V.H. Garces St., A. Gabuya St., and Leon Kilat St.-Escano St.
In 2022, COA criticized the City for making “excessive” advance payments, noting that the project had not moved beyond the design phase.
Although the contract began in April 2021 and was initially set to end in November 2022, after three suspension notices, a new contract was established, expiring in November 2023. COA’s recent inquiry and contractor feedback as of February 16, 2024, revealed that the project remains in the design phase.
COA also stressed that under Republic Act 9184, the Government Procurement Reform Act, the contract cannot be extended once it has expired.
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