GARBAGE blocking a trash rack along Guadalajara Creek contributed to knee-deep flooding in parts of Barangay Guadalupe after heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon (habagat) hit Cebu City on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, despite the barangay’s repeated declogging efforts.
In a phone interview on Thursday, July 23, Barangay Guadalupe Captain Apol Gacasan Enriquez said one of the causes of the flooding was garbage that had accumulated on a screen installed along Guadalajara Creek, preventing rainwater from flowing toward Guadalupe Heights.
She said the obstruction caused water to rise and overflow into nearby communities as heavy rains continued to pour over the city.
Obstruction
Enriquez said floodwaters reached knee-deep in Sitios Guadalajara and Sandayong, where runoff from higher areas naturally flowed into lower-lying portions of the barangay. Despite the flooding, no families were evacuated and no residents were severely affected, she said.
Operations
The barangay has been conducting declogging operations since August last year and continued the effort this year. However, Enriquez said the drainage systems and waterways have not been fully or regularly declogged because garbage continues to accumulate, while the barangay also has other responsibilities that limit how often the work can be carried out.
Recovery
As of Thursday, the floodwaters had subsided after water resumed flowing through the creek. Enriquez said barangay personnel continue to conduct declogging operations, monitor the waterway, and identify measures to address the recurring flooding problem.
The latest flooding highlights concerns previously raised by barangay officials over Guadalupe's drainage and waterways.
Earlier, Barangay Councilor Michael Gacasan identified rapid urbanization, clogged drainage systems and waterways, improper waste disposal, and encroachments along creeks as factors that have worsened flooding in the area.
Gacasan urged the Cebu City Government to rehabilitate and widen drainage systems and waterways to improve water flow and strengthen long-term flood control measures. His 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 on July 7.
The flooding exposes the continuing challenge of addressing persistent drainage and waterway problems in flood-prone communities whenever heavy rains hit Cebu City. (Gervie Paluga)