City’s task force takes advantage of El Niño
The Cebu City government’s Task Force Gubat sa Baha will take advantage of the ongoing El Niño to intensify preventive measures against flooding in the city.
Ret. Col. Jefferson Omandam, Task Force deputy commander, said this was agreed during their meeting last Monday.
Among those the Task Force has been keenly looking at is the course of action that will be taken at the vicinity of Gaisano Country Mall in Barangay Apas and its nearby areas to avoid a similar incident of flooding that happened last September 2023.
“Atong gilikayan nga dili gyud maglunop,” Omandam said.
He said they are currently looking at preventive measures that would be taken implemented as soon as possible while the dry spell, and therefore absence of rain, is still here.
“Kay El Niño man gud, madalang man ang ulan, mao na ni ang panahon nga maka-execute ta og maayo og unsay maayong buhaton aron di na to mausab ang nahitabo sa Country Mall,” Omandam said.
He assured that no structures would be affected once they implement the preventive measures, as the Task Force has pinpointed what caused the 2023 flooding.
He said the onrushing water came from the hilly area of Apas, which is why a survey would be made for the possibility of building a gabion dam as water catchment.
The dam, he said, has been planned along with the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office and the City Planning and Development Office but would still need several interventions and study for it to push through.
“Aron kung mokusog ang ulan di na siya mobulusok sa lowland areas,” Omandam said.
“Kay ting-init man na kay kung ting-ulan di ka trabaho og mayo,” he added.
He also said that they have not checked yet if the mall complied with the rainwater catchment requirement, adding that the Task Force only told the management to redesign their fence so that the water can pass through and won’t pool within the mall premises.