RESIDENTS of Sitio San Roque, Barangay Budlaan, Cebu City, have expressed frustration and concern over the deteriorating condition of a riprap bridge that has sustained heavy flood damage in recent months.
The structure, a project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) completed four years ago, was intended to reduce disaster risks in the area. However, locals say it was poorly built and is now endangering nearby homes.
“We have always reported this issue in the Cebu City Hall, so it will be fixed, they can just charge it to the disaster fund, ever since the past administration but there is still no action,” said Barangay Captain Nerissa Antolihao.
She noted that residents near the river are the most affected whenever heavy rains and flooding strike.
Antolihao also criticized DPWH’s lack of coordination, saying they only coordinate at the start of the project, but once it’s finished, they just leave.
Some residents echoed her concerns.
“The riprap they built was just piled stones without cement,” said Nora Ramos, who lamented that despite the project’s large budget, it had no solid foundation.
Ramos recounted that on August 12, 2025, her home was swept away by floods.
Barangay tanods have resorted to makeshift repairs, patching the damaged riprap with sacks to slow down the collapse.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival, who inspected the site on Thursday, September 11, 2025, confirmed the community’s fears after observing that parts of the wall had already collapsed.
“In my personal opinion, since I’m an engineer, that was not the right way to do the work. It was too easy -- you were just stacking stones,” Archival said.
The mayor noted that preliminary information suggested the DPWH implemented the project in 2019, but he has yet to receive an official report identifying the contractor.
He added that the walls lacked steel bars (kabilya) and concrete reinforcement, making them vulnerable to rushing water.
Archival has directed the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) to recommend immediate measures. He also warned that the project may no longer be covered by warranty, given its 2019 completion date.
The flood control structure is located near a National Housing Authority relocation site, which Archival fears could also be threatened if the walls continue to erode. (Bryce Ken Abellon, USJ-R intern/With CAV)