IT WAS a force majeure that caused the collapse of a flood control wall in Barangay Kang-actol in the southwestern town of Dumanjug, Cebu and not substandard construction, Mayor Efren Guntrano “Gungun” Gica assured on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025.
In a video posted on his Facebook page on Saturday, Gica reported that the project had been built according to plan despite its collapse during the onslaught of tropical depression Verbena last Tuesday, Nov. 25.
The official, along with the municipal engineers and a team from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), inspected the site at Putaw River in Barangay Kang-actol.
Gica explained in the video that the concrete thickness and steel reinforcements matched the plan. The concrete thickness was found to be almost 30 centimeters (cm) in width, which was far thicker than the design plan of about 20 cm.
He added that there was sufficient steel reinforcement embedded in the slope protection.
“Dili substandard ang proyekto. Ang pagbutang sa kabilya sa slope ug ang gibag-on sa semento, tanan nisubay sa design (The project is not substandard. The placement of the steel bars on the slope and the thickness of the cement, everything followed the design),” said Gica. “The project is even above-standard.”
On Nov. 25, at the height of Verbena’s onslaught, Gica announced an investigation into the collapse, while clarifying that the controversial QM Builders was not the contractor of the project.
During the inspection, Gica said the municipal engineers and DPWH team found that the collapse stemmed from extreme hydrostatic pressure after more than three hectares of runoff pooled behind the structure.
The wall’s weep holes with three-inch PVC outlets designed to release water were overwhelmed by the volume of water during the storm, Gica added.
The force of water softened the soil and triggered a slope failure behind the wall.
“It was unanticipated that the water would reach this level. The pressure from behind caused the collapse,” he said.
The mayor also clarified that the structure’s contractor, whose warranty had already lapsed, has nevertheless committed to repair the collapsed portion free of charge.
The contractor reportedly assured local officials that reconstruction can be completed within a week. / EHP