Mandaue sitios experience knee-deep floods: No rain but floodwater rises

Residents of Sitio Sili in Barangay Paknaan in Mandaue City experience at one point nearly waist-deep floodwaters today, July 3, after the Butuanon River overflowed due to the rainwater from the Cebu City mountains. | Mary Rose Sagarino

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Even if there is no rain in Mandaue City, a few of its areas were still flooded on Monday morning, July 3, after the Butuanon River overflowed due to the rainwater from the mountains.

Sitios Sili and Talong in Barangay Paknaan experienced above-knee-deep floods on Monday while ankle-deep flood was noted in portions of sitio Ahos. The sitios are situated near the river.

READ: Mandaue City taps gov’t agencies to address flooding problems

Nearly waist-deep waters

“Hapit na gid mahawak, ang amoa (balay). Last touch man gud ni. Maong anhi mudawat sa amoa ang tanan’g tubig unya ang basura magprocession anhi sa ako. Mao nang ablihan nako kay maguba man akoang kural..Muubog gyud mi kay wala man mi choice,” said Rey Zamboangnon, Vice President of Sitio Casili’s Divine Mercy Homeowners Association.

(The water in our house nearly reached our waists. This is the last touch here. That is why we receive all the water and the garbage would be like a procession near our house. That is why I would open the fence…we have no choice but to also wade in the floodwater.)

Residents of Sitio Sili in Barangay Paknaan wade through the flooded street today, July 3. | Mary Rose Sagarino

READ: Mandaue exec to motorists: Avoid passing through heavily flooded city streets

Why they are flooded

The upstream of the rivers in Mandaue City is located in Cebu City, so, even if there is no rain in Mandaue, they still experience flooding whenever there’s heavy rain in the mountains in Cebu City.

Residents said that there was a riprap project for the Butuanon River at the portion of Sitio Talong but this had yet to be completed.

They hoped that it could be prioritized so that they would not get flooded easily.

“Mas labi’ng maayo gyud unta kung maprioritize diha nga side kay anha man gyud muawas ang tubig,” Zamboangnon said.

(It would be better if that side would be prioritized because it would be in that part where the water would overflow.)

READ: Mandaue City reopens old fishpond aquifer as relief channel for Butuanon River

Alang-Alang sitio in Mandaue

Another flood prone area of Mandaue City is Sitio Pulang Bukid in Barangay Alang-Alang, but fortunately, the river was not able to overflow there.

There was a riprap project there. And a piling of metal sheets was also done in the area.

Gina Alarquez said they did not feel very worried now, but they would still always monitor the water level.

Rescuers from Barangay Alang-Alang visited the sitio to check the water level of the Butuanon River on Monday morning after they received reports that the water level had risen to five meters.

“Ang nakakuan man diri basta mosaka ang tubig, paspas gyud ang iya’ng pagsaka in just a matter of minutes lang. Gikan man sa bukid gud,” said Gerrard Gleen Gobalani, operations head of the Barangay Disaster.

(What really is the problem is that the water would really rise, it will really rise fast in just a matter of minutes. This is because the water comes from the mountains.)

They reminded residents to be vigilant of the water level in the river.

READ: Pagasa: 3 – 4 July storms expected, fair Sunday weather seen