Health, garbage concerns raised after downpour
Vulnerabilities of Metro Cebu were exposed anew as rain pounded it for hours last Thursday night, intensifying at past midnight until early dawn yesterday.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) classified the rain as “torrential,” the highest and most severe category.
Engineer Alfredo Quiblat of PAGASA Cebu said the rainwater measured 59.7 millimeters. At the peak of the downpour, from 12:30 a.m. until 1:10 a.m. yesterday, rainwater measured 41 millimeters.
In Cebu City, ankle deep floodwaters covered M.J. Cuenco Avenue, Sanciangko Street, Sabellano Street, Colon Street, and D. Jakosalem Street, among others.
Quiblat said the rain was induced by a thunderstorm that developed over Metro Cebu.
The thunderstorm may have been formed after the Southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat, was enhanced by a weather disturbance hovering northern Luzon.
HEALTH
The downpour prompted health officials to warn the public anew to the risks of wading in floodwaters.
Doctor Van Philip Baton of the Department of Health (DOH) - 7, said those who expose themselves in floodwaters also expose themselves to infectious diseases such as leptospirosis and fungal skin infection.
He said floods also increase the transmission of other water-borne diseases such as typhoid fever, cholera, and hepatitis A, which stem from water contaminated with human or animal waste.
Leptospirosis is easy to transmit, he said, because it can be acquired if the person has broken skin or an open wound.
“People should wear boots or immediately wash their body part in contact with flooded waters with soap and water. But they have to seek consultation if with open wounds,” he said.
GARBAGE
At the Cebu City Hall, officials also called residents anew to be responsible in disposing of their garbage.
The downpour Thursday also highlighted yet again the metro’s poor drainage system, unmanaged garbage, and ineffective land use.
But even if the city spends billions for drainage, Engr. Josefa Ylanan said the same would be useless if people will continue to throw their garbage into canals. Garbage can clog canals and waterways.
“The best solution is to avoid putting our garbage to our canals. It’s useless to implement drainage projects if people continue to throw garbage anywhere. We deployed our job orders to clean up the canals and other waterways,” she said.
“There are several requests sa office from different barangays to de-clog their canals, creeks, or rivers. I just hope that each barangay will help the city on this. They can always ask their residents to start cleaning their canals,” she added.
The campaign for responsible garbage disposal should start in the barangays, she said.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña also said the city will implement his project to give sardines in exchange of garbage collected by residents.
Osmeña said the “Sardinas Mo, Basura Ko” will be implemented soon, as bidding is ongoing for the heavy equipment the city will lease for the program.
“We have several drainage projects we are implementing but let’s see first what we can do to clean up the drainage and to keep it clean so that we don’t have to spend on drainage later on,” he said.