Cebu City gears up for large-scale desilting operations

Local

HELP is on the way for flood-prone communities in Cebu City.

Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. announced on Monday, August 4, that large-scale desilting operations will begin next week in several key waterways, starting with the Estero de Parian and rivers in Barangay Tejero.

The initiative is part of the city’s efforts to reduce persistent

flooding ahead of the rainy season.

“Giuna natong ang areas nga bisan dili mag-uwan, magsige naay tubig sa kilid sa dalan. Didto dapit sa may Day-as and Parian,” said Archival in a media interview.

He said debris has already been cleared in some parts of Day-as, where water from the creek had overflowed into the streets due to clogged drainage.

“Hopefully, next week magsugod na sa Estero de Parian, sapa diri sa Tejero, upat ka sapa,” he added, referring to the start of desilting in at least four waterways in the city.

Archival previously defended the initiative as part of a broader, mid-term strategy to manage urban flooding, contrary to claims by some engineers who criticized it as merely a “band-aid solution.”

“Because if we don’t do it, we won’t see any relief,” Archival said in Cebuano. “We also saw when we did this during my previous term, we could see the flood subside quickly. Now, we are adding more desilting... that’s what I see as a mid-term solution.”

On July 25, the mayor laid out his flood mitigation plan after heavy downpours on July 16 left parts of Cebu submerged, prompting the Cebu City Council to declare a state of calamity and release P15 million for immediate desilting operations.

The initial desilting efforts will concentrate on the mouths of eight major bodies of water, including Bulacao River, Kinalumsan River, Guadalupe River, Estero de Parian, Lahug River, Mahiga Creek, Butuanon River, and Tagunol Creek.

The city aims to prevent water backflow during high tides and heavy rains, which leads to flooding in streets and homes.

Aside from desilting, the mayor’s office plans to implement flood-prevention ordinances, including the construction of water impounding and rainwater catchment systems.

These will be complemented by stricter enforcement of solid waste management laws, including the “no segregation, no collection” policy to address the persistent issue of garbage-clogged waterways.

Mountain barangays will also see improvements.

The city intends to desilt gabion dams and create water impounding projects in areas like Talamban, Budlaan, and Pulangbato. These structures are designed to store water during the rainy season and provide a secondary source during dry spells.

Archival noted that the collected silt may also be reused as filling material, potentially creating jobs and livelihood opportunities.

The P15 million from the city's disaster fund will jumpstart the campaign. Additional funding for impounding infrastructure is being eyed, although no exact budget request has been made public.

Experts earlier warned, however, that while desilting is urgent and necessary, it is not enough.

Engineer Carlo Jaca, an independent structural analyst, earlier cautioned that Metro Cebu’s worsening flood woes are rooted in years of unchecked urban development, poor drainage, and vanishing open spaces.

“We are so congested that we’re almost in a state of self-destruction,” Jaca said during a news forum on July 23, days after the July 16 floods paralyzed Cebu City, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu.

Jaca called for the construction of underground stormwater retention tanks, the protection of green spaces, and better barangay-level planning focused on sustainable water management, not just recreational infrastructure.(TGP)