Hundreds of homes still submerged in floods

FLOODED area in Barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City (CDN PHOTO/NORMAN MENDOZA).

Around 1,500 houses in four sitios of Barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City remained submerged in ankle- to knee-deep flood waters due to heavy downpours experienced in Cebu for the past several days.

Residents of Sitios Tondon, Sto. Niño, Sudtonggan and Iba, who were inconvenienced by the floods, complained that for weeks, barangay officials only provided one motorized pump to flush out the water in their sitios with residents told to contribute money to buy gasoline for the pump and a flexible pipe.

“Nag-amot-amot pa gani mi mga residente sa pagpalit og hose ug gasoline mga kapin na sa bulan (We residents even contribute money to buy the hose and gasoline for more than a month already),” said Eduvio Villamor Jr., a Lapu-Lapu City Hall employee and a resident of Barangay Basak.

As the single pump seemed to have no effect in bringing the flood waters down, the Lapu-Lapu City government promised to add a submersible pump and two more others to siphon the water out of the area and into a drainage system located several meters away from the affected sitios.

It was also found that a natural waterway of low-lying areas in Barangay Basak, which led to a nearby creek, was blocked by a portion of the Cebu Light Industrial Park (CLIP), a 70-hectare industrial estate located in Mactan, Cebu.

The city government and CLIP are now pursuing talks to open a portion of the property for a drainage with an outfall to the creek after Basak Barangay Captain Isabelito Darnayla reported this concern to the City Engineering Office.

“Pirmi na ning bahaon ning lugara dinhi pero lahi na ron panahona kay permi nang nag-ulan, dunay kalapsan sa tubig dinhi sa una pero naalihan na sa Cebu Light Industrial Park (This area was always flooded but it’s really different now because it’s been always raining heavy and our waterway is already blocked by the Cebu Light industrial Park),” said Darnayla.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza, in an interview, said that she has tasked the City Engineering Office to deploy three more pumps with hose and gasoline to the flooded areas.

“We have also talked with the management of Cebu Light Industrial Park and fortunately, this news has reached their Manila office through television and have instructed the local management to cooperate with the city government,” said Radaza.

The City Health Office is also monitoring possible illnesses, such as dengue, that may be caused by the flooding.

Meanwhile City Engineer Allan Pedrigal revealed plans to conduct a dredging operation of a neary creek this month to allow water from low-lying sitios to flow.

“Pait kaayo among kahimtang diri ilabi na kon ting-uwan na kay mobaha gyud ni dinhi ug dugay pa gyud mohubas ang tubig (Our situation here is very difficult especially now that it’s the rainy season. It is sure to flood and it really takes very long for the waters to subside),” said Gloreen Pejon, a resident in the area.

She said that residents there had been suffering from floods for years as several buildings and structures surround the low-lying area.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) has cautioned residents against allowing their children to play in the floods to avoid accidents.