The recent floods in Cebu, brought about by typhoon Tino, have sparked a lot of discussion on social media, with some blaming the President and corrupt politicians for the disaster. However, it’s essential to consider the root cause of the problem. The government may have implemented the wrong projects to address flooding in the province. The existing rivers, creeks, and drainage canals may not be able to accommodate the large volume of rainwater, especially when it falls non-stop for almost 48 hours.
During our time in Cebu, we observed that the rivers were getting constricted due to structures and subdivisions being developed along these bodies of water, leaving little space for the water to flow. This is a significant factor that contributes to the flooding. The catastrophe in Cebu and other affected areas reminds us of a proposed project to dredge the city’s major rivers to prevent massive flooding. This proposal, which was initially met with resistance due to its potential huge budgetary requirement, is worth reconsidering. Dredging the rivers would increase their depth, allowing them to accommodate a bigger volume of floodwater and reducing the likelihood of overflowing.
Other potential projects to prevent flooding include expanding the width of the rivers, although this may be costly and prone to lawsuits, and building large water catchments or dams, which would require a significant area and right-of-ways. A similar project, which was planned to be funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), was not pursued by the city government without any explanation. We hope that our councilors will take proactive steps to address this issue and come up with a solution to prevent massive flooding in the city.
