MOTORISTS and commuters going to and from southern Cebu had trouble getting to their homes on Friday night, June 14, 2019, after a downpour caused heavy flooding in Barangay Bulacao, Talisay City, which stalled vehicles on the national highway for two to three hours.
The flooding occurred a few hours after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) declared the start of the rainy season.
After receiving numerous complaints, outgoing Cebu congressman and Talisay City mayor-elect Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas Jr. said he plans to meet with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 2nd Engineering District to address the situation.
“I would like to apologize for whatever discomfort or problem that were felt by our constituents and those passing by Talisay City just to get to their respective homes,” Gullas said in a statement posted on his Facebook page.
Joey Bonsobre, a factory worker from Barangay Jaclupan, Talisay City, said it took him almost three hours to get home.
He and his fellow passengers disembarked from their jeepeny, which did not move because it was waiting for the water to subside. They ended up walking the flooded highway from Barangay Bulacao to Tabunok.
“I didn’t care if I got wet, as long as I got home. But I hope it won’t happen again because many people were inconvenienced by the situation,” Bonsobre told SunStar Cebu.
Among them was Ramon Tandog, a habal-habal driver from Barangay San Lawaan 3, Talisay City.
He said he had to bring his motorcycle to a repair shop after it conked out when he attempted to cross the flooded highway to bring his wife home from work.
Gullas, in a statement, said he already spoke to DPWH 2nd Engineering District head Leslie Anthony Molina regarding the matter.
Gullas pointed out that a drainage project was recently implemented in that stretch of road.
Molina, Gullas said, assured that he would coordinate with the agency’s contractors in the cotu to determine the cause of flooding.
Gullas also urged DPWH and the Talisay City Government to cooperate in finding a solution to the city’s flooding problem.
Gullas cited the cooperation between the agency and the local government unit that was instrumental in solving a similar problem on the Cebu South Coastal Road a few weeks ago.
“We hope to see that same dynamics in solving the flooding situation in Barangay Bulacao,” he said.