DUE to lack of manpower, the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) failed to conduct a regular cleanup at the Tejero Creek and other rivers in the city.
Because of the downpour on Aug. 6, 2020, the Tejero Creek had overflown.
Cenro head Editha Peros said there was supposedly a regular cleanup on the rivers located in the city but due to the pandemic, during which the staff of the Cenro are also being deployed to the City’s command center, the cleanup was hampered.
Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said the City is set to implement a billion-peso drainage plan project to address the flooding in the city.
Labella said this is in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Cebu City Engineer Kenneth Carmelita Enriquez said a P1.3-billion drainage project is up for procurement.
Enriquez said the project is set to be implemented on national roads including along N. Bacalso to Gabuya St. going to the sea, along Cabreros St. going to the sea, and Leon Kilat St. going to the sea.
Peros said her office is also coordinating with the agencies and offices for the projects to be implemented.
She also assured that Cenro regularly checks on the rivers and that cleanup is being done should garbage start to pile up again.
Peros said once everything goes back to normal, they will resume their regular cleanup on the rivers. (JJL)