Cebu City officials are preparing strict legal measures and potential referrals to the City Legal Office after 61 out of 65 property developers failed to submit mandatory flood-control plans by the August 17 deadline.
Only four developers complied so far: La Paloma Subdivision, Monterrazas de Cebu, Amari Residences, and Apple One, while city hall aims to consolidate all documents by August 27 for field inspections.
Alongside targeting non-compliant developers, city workers and Mayor Nestor Archival are investigating blocked waterways and fixing broken drainage networks to tackle sudden urban flooding in low-lying communities.
CEBU City officials are preparing to take strict legal measures after 61 property developers failed to submit their mandatory flood-control plans. Despite an Aug. 17 deadline, only four developers have complied with the city’s request to review their flood-mitigation facilities.
Kenneth Siasar, chief of staff to City Mayor Nestor Archival, confirmed Monday, Aug. 24, that the City sent formal letters to 65 developers following growing concerns over flooding in lowland communities below hillside projects. With most companies ignoring the deadline, city officials are preparing to hand the cases over to lawyers.
"If developers still fail to respond, their cases could be referred to the City Legal Office," Siasar said, noting that future notices will carry "more teeth" to force compliance.
Out of the dozens of businesses contacted, La Paloma Subdivision was the first to submit its documents on Aug. 19. Monterrazas de Cebu and Amari Residences followed on Aug. 20, while Apple One submitted its response on Aug. 24.
Several other property developers have requested time extensions, though officials did not specify the reasons behind the delays.
City hall aims to collect and consolidate all available documents by Aug. 27 before presenting a full report to Mayor Archival. Inspectors will compare the submitted plans against real conditions on the ground to check if required flood-control structures actually exist and work properly.
Officials plan to evaluate developers by geographic clusters, prioritizing high-risk areas like Barangay Guadalupe where Monterrazas and nearby projects are located. Mayor Archival previously emphasized that all decisions regarding hillside developments will rely strictly on facts and proven compliance.
While pursuing property developers, city workers are also tackling immediate causes of urban flooding, including blocked, shrinking, and disconnected waterways.
Mayor Archival has been personally visiting flood-prone neighborhoods to investigate why water rises quickly even during light rains. During a recent inspection along the boundary of Barangays Suba and Pasil, nearly 100 city personnel discovered serious damage to local infrastructure.
Inspectors traced a 1.5-meter-wide drainage canal and found that past construction projects had blocked its original outlet to the sea. Structures had been built directly over parts of the drainage route, leaving underground manholes completely dry while surrounding homes flooded.
"It is a disconnect sa mga main canal ngadto sa ilang mga balay," Siasar explained, describing the broken link between primary drainage canals and residential neighborhoods.
To fix the broken network, the City teamed up with the Metropolitan Cebu Water District to break open blocked road sections and restore natural water flow toward the ocean. City workers are following Cebu City's 2017 drainage master plan to clear, desilt, and deepen clogged channels across affected communities.
Emergency clearing operations are also moving onto private property when necessary. In Sitio Katambisan in Barangay Tisa, city teams received permission from a landowner to enter private land and deepen a key canal where runoff water collects from surrounding areas.
City officials noted that heavy upland runoff, combined with damaged drainage systems, continues to put local residents at risk.
The City Government will attempt to gather the remaining 61 developer submissions before Aug. 27 to finish its official review. Once the deadline passes, non-compliant property developers face formal legal notices from the City Legal Office, while field teams continue clearing clogged waterways across Cebu City. CAV