MANDAUE City is undertaking four flood mitigation projects phase by phase along the stretch of the different creeks and waterways in the city to substantially resolve the city’s flooding problem, an official said in the shadow of an approaching storm.
Karla Cortes, head of the Mandaue Public Information Office, gave this statement regarding the meeting of Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes with the representatives of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on the issues of flooding in the city on Monday, May 22, 2023.
Cortes said the four projects are the Rolling Hills Drainage Project in Banilad, Drainage Project going to E. Espina St., Banilad (downstream of former LH Prime), Tipolo Creek Flood Control Project Phase 1, and Consuelo Flood Control Project in Basak.
The City coordinated with the DPWH for dredging at the outfalls of the rivers, creeks and waterways, as well as for the installation of submersible pumps at the identified flooded areas of the city.
She said the City also coordinated with the DPWH for next year’s flood control projects at the Butuanon River, Mahiga River, Tipolo Creek and Basak Creek, as well as on the improvement of the bridge near Innodata in Barangay Subangdaku.
The City will also coordinate with the Cebu City Government for the possible diversion of the Talamban drainage to go to the Mahiga River instead of A.S. Fortuna St.
Last September, Mandaue City saw its worst flooding in 30 years after a localized thunderstorm caused two hours of intense rainfall that caused the Butuanon River to overflow. A least 11 of the city’s 27 barangays were affected by the floods.
Residents
This week, Janine Montesa, 36, from Barangay Subangdaku, said that even if super typhoon Betty (international name: Mawar) will not land in Mandaue, as a mother of three children, she has prepared emergency packs in case there will be a flood.
“I already bought canned goods and rice just in case. And I also bought a candle, so that if there is a brownout, there is one I could use,” Montesa said.
Ermita Payag, 50, also from Subangdaku, said they are monitoring the news on the typhoon, which was expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Friday night, March 26, or early Saturday morning, March 27.
Jay Mantos, 30, from Barangay Tipolo said their barangay has already cleaned the creek so it will not be clogged when the heavy rains come.
With maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers/hour and gustiness of up to 260 km/h, Betty is expected to hit only the extreme northern Luzon, based on state weather bureau Pagasa’s 11 a.m. Friday advisory.
Storm preparation
The two highly urbanized cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu conducted a pre-disaster risk assessment last Wednesday, in preparation for the typhoon.
Buddy Ybañez, head of the Mandaue Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) told the media on Thursday, that even though Betty was not likely to hit Mandaue City based on its typhoon track, they are still preparing the city for possible heavy rains, which can cause flooding and landslides.
Among the flood-prone areas in Mandaue City are the Cebu Rolling Hills Memorial Chapel area on A.S. Fortuna St., the Innodata area in Subangdaku, and the Butuanon River in Paknaan.
The MDRRMO is on Blue Alert Status, which means all the agency’s personnel are on call.
Meanwhile, the Lapu Lapu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LCDRRMO) said that they expected a gale warning from Pagasa over the typhoon.
Andy Berame, assistant head of LCDRRMO, told SunStar Cebu Thursday that if there’s a gale warning, passengers are expected to be stranded, which means they will have to take care of many stranded people.
“There are also many fishermen on the island of Olango and those neighboring areas that do not have food. That is why we are pre-positioning food and relief goods,” Berame added.