MANDAUE City Administrator Gonzalo “Sally” Malig-on said the city’s flood control system along the Butuanon River can only handle normal rainfall and was not built to withstand the extreme downpour that hit the city recently.
According to Malig-on, the recent flooding occurred after a month’s worth of rainfall poured within just six hours, a phenomenon he described as beyond what the existing structures could contain.
“The flood control in Butuanon River can serve during normal rainfall, but not for that kind of phenomenon where one month’s rainfall fell within six hours. No system could handle that. The water would naturally overflow,” he said.
He added that while some flood control portions remain unfinished, the City continues to coordinate with the National Government to address the needs of mountain barangays, particularly through the construction of dams and catchment basins that could help slow down and trap rainwater.
“We really need the help of the National Government for those mountain barangays. Hopefully, we can build dams or catchment basins to slow down the water flow,” Malig-on said.
“These should ideally be on the Cebu City side, since that area sits higher than Mandaue,” he added.
Malig-on explained that rainfall was heavier in Cebu City than in Mandaue during the storm, which contributed to the rapid water rise along the Butuanon River.
Despite the challenges, he commended the City’s preemptive evacuation efforts, which resulted in minimal casualties.
“Around 29,000 residents were evacuated to different centers. Considering the size of Butuanon River, only one death was confirmed in Mandaue City. The preemptive evacuation really worked,” he said.
Malig-on emphasized that the City Government, under Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano, continues to prioritize public safety and disaster preparedness.
“People have learned to evacuate immediately when there’s a warning. That’s something we should continue. We also urge the public not to be complacent,” he said.
The City is also in the process of acquiring a stronger early warning system after Ouano pushed for it during disaster briefings.
“We only have a few minutes to react during heavy rain. That’s why the mayor insisted that we need a better early warning system. It’s now in the procurement process,” Malig-on said.
He also mentioned that the City is working on desiltation projects along the Butuanon River, as sediment buildup has reduced water flow capacity in some areas.
“You can see that some parts of the river have become narrower because of siltation. That’s something we can address at the city level,” he noted.
Malig-on added that unfinished flood control projects on the Mandaue side remain under the National Government’s responsibility, and their continuation could significantly help reduce flooding.
“If not for those existing flood control structures, the flooding could have been worse. But it’s still only halfway done in some areas,” he said.
Aside from infrastructure improvements, Malig-on acknowledged another pressing challenge, the presence of houses built along the riverbanks, which worsen flooding and complicate relocation efforts.
“Over the years, people have built homes near the river. If those settlements hadn’t been allowed before, we wouldn’t have this big of a problem now,” he said. “But we can’t just relocate thousands of people overnight. We need to find a practical and fair solution.”
He said the City has already held two meetings with Ouano, barangay captains, and engineers to discuss the no-build zone policy and explore possible relocation sites.
“We are studying possible relocation areas, but we also want to be realistic. We don’t want to make promises that we can’t deliver,” Malig-on added.
Despite these challenges, Malig-on remains optimistic that with continued coordination between the local and national governments, Mandaue City can strengthen its flood resilience and better protect its residents from future disasters. (ABC)