Heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon submerged at least 11 flood-prone areas in Cebu City on Wednesday and Thursday, stranding motorists and prompting disaster rescue operations.
Barangay officials cited long-standing issues such as clogged waterways, accumulated silt, and aging drainage systems that can no longer handle runoff from intense rainfall.
Pagasa reported that the southwest monsoon will bring scattered rains through Friday, July 24, with weather conditions expected to improve by Saturday, July 25.
HEAVY rains brought by the southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat, submerged at least 11 flood-prone areas in Cebu City on Wednesday afternoon, July 22, 2026, once again exposing long-standing drainage problems that continue to leave communities vulnerable during heavy downpours.
The rains persisted into Thursday, July 23, with another round of heavy downpour past 5 p.m. triggering renewed flooding in several areas, underscoring how quickly floodwaters can return when drainage systems are overwhelmed.
While the rain triggered the flooding, barangay officials said the damage was driven by years of unresolved issues, including clogged waterways, accumulated silt in creeks and drainage systems that can no longer cope with the volume of runoff produced by increasingly intense rainfall.
The flooding stranded motorists and residents in several parts of the city and prompted the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to conduct rescue operations along the Cebu Technological University Main Campus-Manalili corridor after rising waters trapped several people in the downtown area.
City Councilor Dave Tumulak, chairman of the committee on disaster, said the flooding affected Barangays Basak Pardo, Calamba, Capitol Site, Guadalupe, Kinasang-an, Lahug, Mambaling, Tejero, Tinago and Tisa, as well as portions of N. Bacalso Ave. and Sanciangko St.
No flooding or landslides were reported elsewhere in Cebu Province. Information Officer Ainjeliz dela Torre Orong said the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office had not received reports of flooding in any city or municipality, including along the Cebu Transcentral Highway.
Habagat remains the main weather trigger
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the southwest monsoon will continue to bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorms across Cebu through Friday, July 24, with occasional moderate to heavy rains capable of triggering flash floods and landslides.
Pagasa Visayas weather specialist Jhomer Eclarino said the rains over Cebu are still being caused by the southwest monsoon, even after the low pressure area being monitored over the past few days intensified into Tropical Depression Kiyapo.
He said weather conditions are expected to improve by Saturday, July 25.
Clogged waterways slow the flow of floodwaters
Guadalupe Barangay Captain Apol Gacasan Enriquez said garbage accumulated on a trash rack along Guadalajara Creek blocked the flow of stormwater, causing floodwaters to rise in Sitios Sandayong and Guadalajara.
She said the barangay has conducted regular declogging operations since last year, but sustaining cleanup efforts remains difficult because of waste disposal requirements and other barangay responsibilities.
“The water could no longer pass because the screen directing the flow toward Guadalupe Heights was clogged with garbage,” she said in Cebuano.
Silted creeks reduce drainage capacity
Tejero Barangay Captain Harold Seno said years of accumulated silt have made Tejero Creek too shallow to efficiently carry runoff from upland barangays before the water drains toward the pier.
Although the barangay conducts daily declogging of drainage canals, he said those efforts become ineffective once the creek overflows. High tide also slows the recession of floodwaters.
Seno said dredging the creek is the long-term solution because the barangay does not have the equipment needed to remove accumulated silt.
“We can no longer avoid flooding because of climate change. I believe dredging Tejero Creek is the long-term solution,” he said.
Aging drainage systems struggle during heavy rain
Kinasang-an Barangay Captain Susan Enriquez said her community serves as a catch basin for runoff from neighboring barangays, including Quiot Pardo, making it one of the first areas to flood during prolonged rainfall.
She said the barangay’s drainage system is no longer large enough to handle the increasing volume of stormwater. A restricted water outlet near a private property in Lower Paradise 2 also slows the recession of floodwaters.
The barangay regularly requests declogging assistance from the Cebu City Government, but response times vary because many flood-prone communities require the same service.
Long-term solutions depend on infrastructure
Barangay officials said regular declogging remains necessary, but it cannot solve flooding on its own.
They said Cebu City needs to dredge major creeks, upgrade aging drainage infrastructure, remove bottlenecks that restrict water flow and strengthen waste management to prevent garbage from clogging waterways.
Flood-control projects elsewhere in Metro Cebu also illustrate the challenges of improving drainage infrastructure. In Lapu-Lapu City, the P30-million drainage project along Jorge Tampus Road in Barangay Basak may miss its October completion deadline because of insufficient manpower despite the deployment of additional equipment.
Lone District Rep. Junard “Ahong” Chan said the Department of Public Works and Highways-funded project began on June 25, 2025, but only about 100 meters of the 270-meter drainage line have been completed. Although the contractor deployed two additional backhoes after a recent inspection, only seven workers remain assigned to the project.
Chan said the contractor is installing only about 10 box culverts a week instead of the committed 18, making a December completion more likely than October. He said he had urged the Department of Public Works and Highways Cebu 6th District Engineering Office to require the contractor to accelerate the work or face possible termination, blacklisting and penalties.
“We cannot afford further delays because it is the rainy season, and we really need this project because it serves as the drainage outfall,” Chan said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
Continued monitoring as rains persist
No families were evacuated and no major damage was reported during the latest flooding. By Thursday morning, floodwaters had receded, but a downpour that returned past 5 p.m. caused water levels to rise again in some areas, prompting continued monitoring and response.
Barangay personnel continued cleanup and declogging operations as city officials said monitoring will remain in place in flood-prone communities while authorities prepare for possible repeat flooding as the southwest monsoon continues to affect Cebu. / WITH REPORTS FROM CDF & DPC