Barangay Guadalupe has deployed its own equipment and teams while waiting for drainage rehabilitation assistance.
Clogged waterways, poor waste disposal and creek encroachments continue to worsen flooding in Guadalupe.
Limited garbage collection and congested creeks are straining Guadalupe’s efforts to prevent flooding.
Guadalupe officials are seeking long-term drainage improvements after repeated flooding during heavy rains.
A BARANGAY councilor has called on the Cebu City Government to rehabilitate drainage systems and waterways, saying stronger flood control infrastructure is needed to support Barangay Guadalupe’s efforts to reduce flooding during the rainy season.
Guadalupe continues to face flooding during periods of heavy rainfall, with rapid urbanization, clogged drainage systems and waterways, improper waste disposal, and encroachments along creeks worsening the problem.
In an exclusive interview with SunStar Cebu on Tuesday, July 14, Councilor Michael Gacasan, who chairs the committees on maintenance and general services and public works and infrastructure, said the barangay has largely relied on its own resources to respond to flooding because assistance from the Cebu City Government takes time to process.
The barangay has acquired equipment, including jackhammers and backhoes, to carry out declogging and repair work while waiting for government assistance.
“As of now, if we wait for the City, it will take too long. That is why we just act on our own and do what we can,” Gacasan said in Cebuano.
Waste collection constraints
Gacasan said clogged canals and drainage systems are partly the result of residents’ improper waste disposal. He also acknowledged that some residents have limited options because of the City’s inadequate garbage collection.
He said garbage trucks are allowed to unload only once at the South Road Properties transfer station and may collect garbage only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays under the current disposal schedule.
“Residents get angry at the barangay because they think we’re inconsistent in collecting garbage, but what can we do when we have nowhere to dispose of it?” Gacasan said.
Guadalupe generates about 52 tons of garbage each day, he said. Because of the limited number of garbage trucks and the restriction of one disposal trip per truck on designated collection days, only a limited number of sitios can be served each week, leaving other communities waiting until the following week.
Daily declogging operations
The barangay conducts daily declogging operations, including cleaning and repairing canals, but continues to struggle to keep up with growing demand.
Gacasan said two teams have been assigned to carry out the work. Barangay officials decided not to wait for assistance from the City Government because it also has other priorities, he said.
Congested creeks remain the primary cause of flooding in Guadalupe, according to Gacasan. He said encroachments have reduced the waterways' capacity to carry water, causing them to overflow during heavy rains.
He said the three-meter easement along riverbanks should be strictly enforced to prevent further encroachment on waterways.
Appeal for rehabilitation
Gacasan also urged the City Government to rehabilitate and widen the drainage system to improve water flow and reduce flooding in the barangay.
He said the barangay has repeatedly written to the Department of Public Works and Highways requesting rehabilitation of the drainage system. The agency has inspected the affected areas, he said, but the barangay has yet to receive an update on when the work will begin.
Flood control priority
Gacasan's appeal came after Mayor Nestor Archival identified flood control as one of the priority areas under the "Cebu City 2035" roadmap during his State of the City Address last July 7.
The mayor also urged the City Council to fund long-term flood mitigation projects, including the acquisition of an amphibious backhoe for dredging rivers and waterways, along with waste management initiatives aimed at reducing garbage that clogs drainage systems. (Gervie Paluga and Jinelle Rhea Simbahon, UP Cebu interns)
