THE presence of informal settlers and encroachment issues along the river banks delay the realization of flood-control projects in Cebu City.

An official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the projects’ implementing agency, revealed these problems to the Cebu City Government during the Inter-Agency Task Force on Flooding (IATFF) meeting on Thursday morning, Sept. 5, 2019.

Earl Carlo Escanuela said the DPWH’s Unified Project Management Office-Flood Control Management Cluster (UPMO-FCMC) has ongoing river-widening projects on some rivers; he is asking the City to help the agency in dealing with the informal settlers near the rivers. The official leads the UPMO-FCMC.

Along the Lahug River, some residents have encroached on the river banks, giving the DPWH a hard time in implementing its projects.

The DPWH’s river improvements also include putting up sheet piles and constructing dikes. These will help control flooding in the city, said Escanuela.

The river-widening project is part of the DPWH’s seven rivers improvement program for the cities of Cebu and Mandaue. The program started in 2016; its funds were released after the passage of the General Appropriations Act.

Six of the identified seven rivers are in Cebu City. Four of the six rivers have encroachment issues, and the DPWH partially identified 700 informal settlers.

The City had already relocated the informal settlers living in barangays Duljo-Fatima and Mambaling, near Kinalumsan River. The settlers were relocated to another area in Duljo-Fatima, far from the river.

A partial relocation of illegal settlers in Barangay Pasil was also carried out. Guadalupe River passes through Pasil and other villages.

“We are requesting the City to address our problem so we can continue the projects,” Escanuela said.

The DPWH, Escanuela said, has yet to improve the condition of the rivers that pass through barangays Tejero and Lahug.

City General Services Office (GSO) head June Maratas said the City has allocated an amount of P140 million for the relocation subsidy. He further said his office has coordinated with the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor to conduct a socio-economic survey of the affected families.

During the IATFF meeting, representatives from the DPWH central office, Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) and GSO discussed what projects should be prioritized.

The City had allocated P1.5 billion for its flood-control projects. It identified that it should prioritize barangays Tisa, Tinago and Parian, and N. Bacalso Ave. and Colon St. as these areas are often flooded during a heavy downpour.

The IATFF members agreed to divide tasks—the DPWH and DEPW are in charge of solving the City’s problems with its drainage, and the UPMO-FCMC will take care of the river improvement.

Earlier this week, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella created the IATFF to come up with a comprehensive flood control program.

He allocated P1.5 billion, the unspent funds during the previous administration.

Last Sunday, Sept. 1, a heavy downpour caused flooding in some barangays in the city. (JJL)