P420M FOR METRO

Public works agency sets nearly half a billion for Metro Cebu flood control projects, out of P3.7 B infrastructure budget for Region 7 Water expert asks local governments to enforce more measures to prevent urban flooding in Cebu

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 is set to implement P3.7 billion worth of infrastructure projects that aim to reduce flooding in some areas in Central Visayas.

Of the P3.7 billion, P420 million is being allocated for flood control projects in Metro Cebu.

This, as a local water expert urged local government units to implement measures to prevent urban flooding in Metro Cebu.

During the Water Challenge Forum earlier last Thursday, Engr. Emman Rey Quimson of DPWH 7’s Planning and Design Division said that of the total P16.3 billion allocated for infrastructure projects in Central Visayas this year, around P3.7 billion is for flood management services.

Of the amount, around P420 million worth of flood control projects are ongoing construction, particularly in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue.

These include flood control and drainage improvements in the Bulacao, Kinalumsan, Guadalupe and Subangdaku River Basins in Cebu City and Mandaue City.

The flood control and drainage improvement projects worth P420 million are a continuation of the projects being implemented by DPWH 7 in the five river basins last year.

Last year, the national government allocated P720 million for the rehabilitation of the flood control and drainage improvement projects for the five river basins in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue.

In the same forum, Dr. Fe Walag of the University of San Carlos (USC) urged LGUs to implement measures against improper garbage disposal, clogged-up esteros and the presence of informal settlers in waterways due to their contributions to the increasing flooding problem in Metro Cebu.

Walag, executive director of USC’s Water Resources Center Foundation Inc. (USC-WRCFI), said that natural waterways in Metro Cebu are getting clogged up because of houses being built there, particularly those owned by illegal settlers.

She lamented that some private and public establishments are neglecting natural waterways in favor of building infrastructure.

Walag also lamented the lack of river maintenance and drainage conveyance that could help address these problems.

She called upon LGUs and the national government to come up with a drainage code that can be followed by private and public establishment owners.

The Water Challenge Forum, held at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel in Cebu City, was organized by the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ECCP)./