MANDAUE City’s flood control system along the Butuanon River was not built to handle extreme downpours, explained City Administrator Gonzalo “Sally” Malig-on.
Malig-on said the system can only handle normal rainfall and was overwhelmed when a month’s worth of rain fell in just six hours during typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) last Nov. 4, 2025.
“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 during a meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
While portions of some flood control projects remain unfinished, Malig-on said the Mandaue City Government continues to coordinate with the National Government to address the needs of barangays near the mountains, particularly through the construction of dams and catchment basins that could help slow down and trap rainwater.
He said flood control projects on the Mandaue side remain under the National Government’s responsibility, and their completion 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.
“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 typhoon Tino which contributed to the rapid water rise along Butuanon River.
Preemptive evacuation
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 said Mandauehanons have learned to evacuate immediately whenever 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.
“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 dissiltation projects along 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 said.
Aside from the much-needed infrastructure improvements, Malig-on said another pressing challenge is the presence of houses built along riverbanks, which worsen flooding and complicate relocation efforts.
“If those settlements hadn’t been allowed before, we wouldn’t have this big of a problem now. But we can’t just relocate thousands of people overnight. We need to find a practical and fair solution,” he said.
Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano has met with barangay captains and city 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 said. / ABC