Cebu Province urged to build dams, gabions

El Niño season or not, water advocates want the Cebu provincial government to prepare for the dry season by building dams and gabions.

Fe Walag of the University of San Carlos’ Water Resource Center (USC-WRC) said gabion dams trap rainwater, which can be used during the dry season.

Walag is also with Kaabag sa Sugbo, an organization that advocates for water conservation.

She said that in 1992 during the incumbency of Governor Lito Osmeña, they piloted a gabion dam in Talamban, Cebu City, which was “useful” but “not implemented.”

The dam, which is located at what is now the Family Park, is already fully covered with sand and gravel, she said.

Walag said the gabions do not only trap rainwater, which can be distributed to households, but is also believed to reduce salt water intrusion. She said if all rivers in Cebu will have something like it, local government units (LGU) will not face water shortage like some 20 of them to this day.

The Kaabag sa Sugbo met with Provincial Board member Thadeo Ouano, chairman of the board committee on environment, to introduce their plan.

Ouano said it is supposed to be the job of the Provincial Water Authority (PWA) to address the problem but the PWA has not been convened since 2006.

Last March 2014, Ouano authored a resolution urging Gov. Hilario Davide III to convene the body, but no action has been taken as of last week.

Davide, however, held a water summit the other week after several LGUs complained of the ill effects of the dry spell.

The Kaabag is also pushing for the province to build water catchment facilities as standby water for the public. These can also reportedly prevent flooding in the downtown area.