Tumulak calls for extensive flood-control measures in Cebu City

Local

AFTER torrential rains sent knee-to-neck-deep floods across Metro Cebu on Friday night, August 15, Councilor Dave Tumulak has called for urgent and comprehensive flood-control measures to avert a repeat of the disaster.

Tumulak, chairman of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said in his assessment report on Saturday, August 16, that while drainage systems in upland barangays functioned and channeled runoff toward rivers, the waterways themselves lacked capacity to hold the surging volume of rainwater.

“Dredging the river to increase its carrying capacity is strongly recommended to manage anticipated increases in riverine water volume and reduce flood risk downstream,” Tumulak said.

Tumulak stressed that Cebu City can no longer rely on ad hoc responses and must adopt a comprehensive flood-management approach combining structural works, community involvement, and strict environmental enforcement.

Among his recommendations were:

- River widening and dredging to stabilize banks, prevent silt build-up, and maintain ecological flows.

- Desilting of drainage networks and systematic clearing of canals, river margins, and outfalls.

- Widening culverts and drainage chokepoints and adding bypass channels to reduce bottlenecks.

- Installing debris screens and enforcing waste management upstream to prevent blockages.

- Community resilience measures such as stronger flood forecasting, evacuation systems, safe zones, and education on proper waste disposal and river maintenance.

- Land-use planning reforms to limit development in flood-prone zones and maintain conservation buffers.

Tumulak added that coordination between the Department of Public Works and Highways, environmental agencies, local government, and citizens is essential to enforce regulations and implement effective solutions.

A sudden downpour late Friday swamped Metro Cebu, flooding roads and riverside communities, damaging homes, and forcing hundreds into evacuation centers.

As of early Saturday, one family in Barangay Pit-os lost their home, while evacuations took place in Barangay Pahina Central and Tumoy, affecting hundreds of families.

Traffic was paralyzed when the Marcelo Fernan Bridge was temporarily closed due to flooding, and strong currents swept away vehicles in Barangay Paknaan.

Several barangays experienced severe flooding and landslides, though some blocked roads were cleared by Saturday morning.

The Philippine weather agency attributed the heavy rains to a low-pressure area enhanced by the southwest monsoon and warned of more scattered rains over the weekend.(TGP)