MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — The Mandaue City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) discovered additional cracks during their inspection of a portion of a riprap along the Butuanon River in Barangay Maguikay, which suddenly collapsed on Tuesday, October 29.
The CDRRMO inspected the 15-meter-long damaged area on Thursday morning, October 31. CDRRMO Operations Head Felix Suico Jr. reported that the area had already been cordoned off to prevent people from entering.
“Nikan-kan na sa ubos ang iya’ng base, iya’ng foundation. Wala seguro to nataru’ng og kawt sa pundasyun ni-give way siya sa ilawm nga sige agian og tubig,” said Suico.
More Cracks Found
Suico mentioned that additional cracks were found in various parts of the riprap wall, with many being vertical, extending from top to base.
“Naay nangahabilin nga mga riprap, naay dagko gyud nga crack, delikado. So, amo nalang sad gi-cordon,” Suico added.
Moreover, Suico noted that a few steel rods were visible in the collapsed portion, but no metal sheet piles or chicken wire appeared to have been used.
“Lagyo kaayo ang ila’ng kabilya, maayo to ma-inspection og structural engineer. Naay kabilya pero murag duha ra man siguro to. Naa to sa atoang gi-agian ang interval nila kawayan, kabilya, kawayan, kabilya. Although, solid siya sa gawas kay semento man pero wala ko kahibalo sa sulod,” he said.
Suico stated that these observations would be forwarded to the City Office of the Building Official.
Mandaue City Mayor Glenn Bercede urged residents in the area to remain vigilant. He suggested that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) inspect the entire length of the riprap wall along the Butuanon River to ensure the safety of nearby residents.
Mandaue City Lone District Representative Emmarie Ouano-Dizon also shared on her Facebook page that she had reached out to DPWH, seeking answers about the incident and plans to address it. The flood control project is one of Ouano-Dizon’s key initiatives for the city.
Engr. Gumer Castillo from the DPWH 6th Engineering Office stated he is still awaiting data requested from his technical team, which was tasked to investigate the area.
Castillo mentioned that the collapsed section is a small, isolated part of a 6,900-linear-meter flood control project along the Butuanon River. The riprap area in Barangay Maguikay, funded with P127 million for 2024, was constructed by ZLREJ Trading and Construction Corp.
According to initial reports, a water pipeline from a nearby company may have caused liquefaction, leading to water pressure buildup.
“Wala seguro kagawas ang tubig nga naa seguro liquefaction, maong natrap ang tubig nga maoy ni-create sa pressure sa tubig. Initial pa ni, wala pa na-validate,” Castillo explained.
Castillo said that while Mayor Bercede’s recommendation would be considered, he would wait for further details before making decisions.
When asked about allegations of substandard project quality, Castillo acknowledged that such comments are common after failures, but noted that he still awaits data from field personnel investigating the area.
“Normal ra na siya, bisan ako makaingun ko og substandard kung naay ingun ana nga failure, but naa pa koy initial data sa field personnel gipa-investigate sa area,” said Castillo.