METRO Cebu mayors and Gov. Pamela Baricuatro have agreed to collaborate on a new wastewater management plan to mitigate flooding, with the governor taking the lead.
The effort is connected to a larger, Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica)- funded master plan study for a wastewater treatment system that will serve eight Metro Cebu local government units (LGUs).
The project aims to collect and process sewage and surface runoff to protect public health and the environment.
The agreement was reached during a meeting convened by the Water Resource Institute (WRI), which brought together leaders from component cities and municipalities in the province.
“I am very glad that we all met, and (Cebu City) Mayor Nestor Archival was very collaborative. The inputs he gave were also very substantive,” Baricuatro told reporters on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025.
According to the United Nations (UN) Water website, WRI helps companies, cities and countries prepare for a secure water future by providing data, analysis, and guidance on water risks. Their work focuses on helping decision-makers build resilience and manage water resources sustainably.
“It’s something to do with flooding also; it’s really a big concern since based on what WRI said the basin is really in Mandaue. Everything goes there, maybe because of over-quarrying in the Consolacion area,” Baricuatro said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
In a post on Facebook, the Provincial Government said the new effort ties into a larger project Baricuatro has already expressed full support for: a large-scale wastewater treatment system that would serve eight local government units across Metro Cebu.
On Tuesday, Sept. 16, a Jica-funded master plan study for the sewerage system was presented to the governor by team leader Yosuke Deguchi.
According to the Capitol, the study’s goal is to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive wastewater management system in the region.
“I’m very positive about this because it’s the first time the people of Cebu will have this kind of system — a proper water treatment facility,” said Edgar Donoso, general manager of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD), who attended the meeting.
The project will cover four cities — Talisay, Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu — as well as four municipalities: Cordova, Consolacion, Liloan and Compostela.
The Capitol will host a meeting with these LGUs soon to discuss the project.
Donoso explained that wastewater treatment is a standard service in many countries, citing Singapore’s advanced system that recycles used water due to limited freshwater resources.
Baricuatro and Donoso are co-chairs of the project’s steering committee. The governor has committed to rally LGUs to support the program.
The planned system will use a network of pipes, pumps, and treatment facilities to collect and process sewage and surface runoff, with the ultimate goal of protecting public health and the environment.
According to the Capitol, the Jica-funded study began in 2024. It will last three years and will include a full feasibility assessment.
The MCWD initially requested the study in 2018. It was approved in 2019 with a budget of 315 million Japanese yen. / CDF