Temp shelters vulnerable, too
That’s why schools cancel classes during heavy rains
Talisay City needs a relocation site for some 3,000 families living in areas in danger of getting flooded or covered by landslides, an official says Meanwhile, engineers from SM Prime Holdings join Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella and other officials in inspecting the Mahiga River, as part of attempts to prevent it from overflowing
EIGHTEEN schools in Talisay City that were identified as evacuation centers won’t be safe for evacuees during calamities, an official said.
During the post-Yolanda briefing headed by the Philippine Information Agency 7,
Vince Monterde, Talisay's local disaster risk reduction and management (LDRRM) officer, said 17 of the schools are in floodprone areas, while one is in a landslide-prone barangay.
Talisay is one of several communities in Cebu that suffer from flash floods after heavy rains, which happened again in some areas yesterday.
Meanwhile, as one way to help solve the flooding problem in Cebu City, SM Prime Holdings Inc. has reportedly agreed to help the Cebu City Government find solutions.
“SM is offering their help because they will be directly affected and surrounded with water during rains,” Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said yesterday. The North Reclamation Area where SM's first mall in Cebu is located, has also become vulnerable to floods.
Engineers from SM joined Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella for a walk along the whole stretch of Mahiga River early yesterday morning to see the state of the river, which overflows after a heavy downpour.
Walk-through
They were joined by City Engineer Jose Marie Poblete, Alvin Santillan and Simeon Romarate of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CCDRRMO).
“The purpose of the walk-through was to determine those areas that need immediate attention,” Poblete said.
For its part, since the Talisay City Government is still trying to figure out how to make its evacuation centers safer, the best thing the City can do, for now, is to dismiss pupils early from their classes whenever a heavy rain falls.
The 18 schools and some covered courts in the city are used during calamities whenever families have to be evacuated.
The schools identified as evacuation sites are the San Isidro Elementary School, Tangke Elementary School, Candulawan Elementary School, Borromeo Brothers Elementary School in Barangay Cansojong, Talisay City Central School (TCCS) in Poblacion, Pooc Elementary School, Mojon Elementary School and Linao Elementary School.
Also on the list are the Lawaan Elementary School, Lagtang Elementary School, Bulacao Elementary School, Tabunok Central School, San Roque Elementary School, Jaclupan Elementary School, Maghaway Elementary School and Tapul Elementary School and the extension school building of TCCS in Barangay Dumlog.
3,000 families
All these schools are in flood-prone areas.
Manipis Elementary School, which serves as the evacuation center of Barangay Manipis, sits on a landslide-prone area.
Currently, Talisay has no available relocation site for the 3,000 families that need to be moved from the areas vulnerable to floods and landslides.
The City also uses the covered courts in Barangays Lagtang and San Roque and the Talisay Sports Complex in Poblacion to temporarily house people during disasters.
Monterde said that Talisay City Mayor Johnny De los Reyes is still looking for lots that may serve as resettlement area.
He said the previous administration purchased a lot that was supposed to serve as a relocation site but it is now an urban poor area.
Good location
The City Government plans to construct a building that may serve as an evacuation center in the Maghaway Detention and Rehabilitation Compound.
Monterde said the area is ideal because it is located away from hazardprone areas. He added that City officials will try to include the budget for the construction of the evacuation building under the disaster risk reduction fund next year.
Dennis Cortes, operations officer of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management office, said the Capitol will try to ask local governments near Talisay if they have a vacant area where residents of Talisay may temporarily stay in case of calamities or heavy rains.
In Cebu City, Mayor Rama has yet to disclose the specific projects that SM will pursue or help the City with, pending the review of the Mahiga River's conditions.
The group that walked along the river yesterday inspected upstream, in Barangay Banilad, all the way to the port complex in the North Reclamation Area.
Recurring problem
Poblete said that the engineers from SM will recommend where and how they can intervene to help the City address the problem in Mahiga.
Every time it floods, the river gets more silted, which makes it overflow faster the next time there's a heavy rain.
“Inig human sa baha, mo-mabaw ang sapa tungod sa siltation (Whenever it floods, the river gets shallower because of siltation),” Poblete said.
As a short-term solution, the City usually conducts dredging, but both the engineering office of the City and SM will identify the factors that contribute to the problem and try to come up with a long-term solution.
Mayor Rama said he also wants the Mandaue City Government to work together with the City since the other side of Mahiga belongs to their jurisdiction.
“They have to be cooperative,” he said.
He also instructed Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement Chief Raquel Arce to remove immediately all obstructions on the easement of Mahiga, to prepare the area for any work that will be done to keep the river from overflowing.