P200-million flood-control project in Basak-Pardo gets green light

Local

A MULTI-million-peso flood-control project is expected to begin this year in the Basak-Pardo area, with a large drainage canal planned to carry stormwater away from five barangays and ease flooding along the Tagunol highway, according to Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak.

Tumulak, chairman of the City Council’s committee on budget and finance, said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has already allocated funding for the project, which he said was discussed during a meeting with Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, Mayor Nestor Archival and Congressman Edu Rama.

He estimated the allocation at around P200 million or more, although he said he did not have the exact figure at the time of the interview.

“This year, I no longer have the exact figure, but more or less around P200 million or more,” Tumulak said.

The project will cover the area from Basak San Nicolas, through Tagunol highway, toward L. Gabuya, where a large canal and drainage system will be constructed to improve the flow of water entering Barangay Basak-Pardo.

Tumulak said the planned drainage infrastructure is intended to address water coming from five barangays that converge toward Basak-Pardo, particularly during heavy rains.

He said the drainage facility would be designed to allow water to flow more quickly and prevent water from accumulating along the Tagunol highway.

“The purpose is so that the Tagunol highway will no longer flood and become impassable to vehicles and people. We will put in a very large drainage system there that will carry the water,” Tumulak said.

He added that the project is expected to increase the speed at which water drains from the area, preventing prolonged flooding.

Tumulak said implementation is expected to begin within 2026 because funding has already been made available.

“It will really start this year because the funding is already there,” he said.

The proposed project comes as Cebu City continues to face flooding in several low-lying, drainage-constrained areas, with city officials recently highlighting the need for larger, more effective flood-control infrastructure.

Tumulak said the Basak-Pardo project was among the matters raised during his meeting with Recto and Rama, following discussions on the city’s flood-control needs.

The reported flood-control allocation is separate from P195 million in Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) assistance recently credited to the Cebu City government for two projects.

Bureau of the Treasury records dated July 29, 2026, show that P145 million was released for the establishment of a material recovery facility (MRF) in Barangay Mambaling.

The facility is intended to include a sorting station, drop-off center, composting facility and recycling facility.

Another P50 million was released for the construction of a multipurpose building in Barangay Kalunasan. Both releases were charged against the Local Government Support Fund-Financial Assistance to LGUs under the 2025 General Appropriations Act, or Republic Act No. 12116, Continuing Appropriations.

The documents state that the funds were credited to the Cebu City government on July 29 and that disbursements would remain subject to existing budgeting, accounting and auditing rules.

Tumulak said the city had also previously received P145 million for a rice distribution program, bringing the total national government assistance he cited to P340 million.

Tumulak said the P145-million Mambaling MRF could help the city reduce the volume of waste it sends to its sanitary landfill in Aloguinsan, Cebu.

“For the program of the mayor, especially the MRF, this will greatly help reduce the garbage here in the city and also allow us to save on the tipping fee we pay at our sanitary landfill in Aloguinsan,” he said.

The Mambaling facility is expected to support the segregation, processing, composting and recycling of waste before disposal, potentially reducing the amount of garbage that ultimately has to be transported to the landfill.

The P50-million Kalunasan multipurpose building, meanwhile, is expected to serve as an activity center or venue that can be used by different sectors of the community, Tumulak said.

He said the building is also targeted for construction within the year now that the funding is available.

While the recently documented LGSF releases cover waste management and community infrastructure,

Tumulak said flood control remains another priority requiring national government support.

The project is expected to focus on improving drainage capacity along the Tagunol area, particularly at sections where flooding can disrupt both vehicular and pedestrian movement.

Tumulak said the project is expected to move forward this year because the funding has already been allocated.(TGP)