CEBU City Mayor-elect Nestor Archival is set to revisit and upgrade the city’s master drainage plan, acknowledging the need to adapt it to an evolving landscape plagued by persistent flooding.
“The master drainage plan is there, it’s just a matter of upgrading it,” Archival said in a phone interview on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. The plan was last updated in the 2000s.
When asked about potential weaknesses in the current plan, Archival said changes are necessary due to new structures and developments across the city.
“Of course, naa gyud na siyay usbononon (there will be changes),” he said.
The need for a new plan is critical as the current drainage infrastructure is outdated.
Some sections date back to the 1990s, and only about 20 percent of a 2004 Comprehensive Drainage Master Plan has been completed, leaving many areas vulnerable. Officials say rapid urbanization and climate change have made previous plans inadequate.
The City has allocated between P10 million and P15 million for a feasibility study in 2025 that will serve as the foundation for the new system. Full implementation of a citywide drainage system is estimated to require P8.2 billion.
Archival intends to approach the drainage system holistically with a city-wide plan.
Unified approach
In an earlier report, outgoing Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said the city’s scattered drainage projects have failed to solve the problem and echoed the need for a unified approach, with all future projects required to conform to the new master plan.
Regarding the timeline for upgrading the drainage master plan, Archival anticipates a period of six to nine months before implementation can begin.
He explained that the process involves several steps, including endorsement by the City Council and a time-consuming bidding process. Coordination with neighboring local government units (LGUs) is also crucial.
“The master drainage plan will take a while. Remember, it will be coordinated with other LGUs,” Archival said.
For immediate flood mitigation, Archival has suggested to the Department of Public Services and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to undertake prompt desilting and declogging operations. He also plans to convene a meeting with the disaster office to establish a “swamp” system, which would serve as a rainwater catchment area in frequently flooded zones, equipped with pumps to remove excess water.
The renewed focus on the city’s drainage follows significant flooding last June 6, which submerged areas in barangays Mabolo and Tejero after heavy rainfall. This happened four days after the state weather bureau declared the onset of the rainy season. / JPS