VICE Mayor Tomas Osmeña is sending a stern warning to developers: if the flooding doesn't stop, the project might be cancelled. Osmeña stated on April 10 that he may push to cancel the Monterrazas de Cebu development if it continues to cause flooding in Barangay Guadalupe.
The vice mayor explained that when hills are cleared of trees and paved with roads, rainwater can no longer soak into the ground. Instead, it rushes down the hill like a "flush," overwhelming the drainage systems of the neighborhoods below.
"Public safety must come first," Osmeña said. He argued that the current ponds designed to catch water at the development aren't large enough to handle the runoff.
While the Vice Mayor blames the construction, a study by the University of the Philippines offered a different view. Their researchers found that extreme rainfall from Typhoon Tino was the main cause of recent floods, rather than the development itself.
Still, Osmeña remains cautious. He is calling for stricter rules on hillside building to ensure that progress doesn't come at the cost of a resident's safety. CAV