JUST a day after torrential rains once again submerged major parts of Cebu City, a historian and an urban planner revisited the city’s forgotten waterways, linking lessons from the past with urgent solutions to today’s flooding crisis.
During the forum titled, “Bahâ! Tracing Cebu’s Lost Waterways, Facing the Floods,” at Palm Grass, The Cebu Heritage Hotel, Dr. Michael Cullinane, associate director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and architect Jhomarie Villarojos, head of the Cebu City Planning and Development Office’s Planning and Design Division, discussed the issues confronting Cebu City’s worsening flood problem.
Cullinane presented rare Spanish-era maps showing how Cebu’s early landscape was shaped by rivers and streams that have since vanished due to urban expansion.
He showed maps of Cebu from 1699, 1833, 1840, 1842, and 1873, explaining how these areas were gradually integrated into the expanding urban space that included “barrios” which frequently experienced flooding, such as Panting, Laguna, and Kanipaan - all located in Colon.
He also discussed how the “rio” (river) of Parian was once directly connected to the “rio” of Lutaos, forming part of a natural water system that has long been disrupted.
These historical maps revealed not just how the city grew, but also how its waterways were systematically altered or buried, creating vulnerabilities that are still felt today.
He discussed how colonization influenced the city’s growth around its port, and how natural waterways that once absorbed and redirected rainwater were gradually covered by reclamation and road projects.
Cullinane stressed that the disappearance of these waterways magnifies present-day flooding and argued that old maps should be used not just as historical artifacts but as planning tools to restore water flow and prevent further disaster.
Adding a present-day perspective, Villarojos pointed to clogged drainage, unchecked development, and vulnerable low-lying communities as the city’s most urgent problems.
He detailed Cebu’s ongoing flood-mitigation efforts, including the desilting of drainage canals, clearing of river easements, and installation of temporary pumping stations.
Villarojos also emphasized the need for long-term, science-based solutions such as revisiting land-use policies, adopting sustainable urban planning, and strengthening early-warning systems.
“Deforestation, climate change, and extreme rainfall are challenges we must prepare for. Necessary changes include segregating biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste, maintaining cleanliness, and recognizing that any changes in the shorelines or in the mountains can make a huge impact,” Villarojos said.
He noted that while historical maps would have been a useful guide in planning, many wetlands have already been covered, leaving fewer natural buffers against flooding.
In the process, it is often the small homeowners, especially those living in informal settlements, who face displacement when clearing operations are carried out, highlighting the unequal impact of urban planning decisions.
Agripina Guivelondo, one of the forum’s organizers, highlighted that heritage is not limited to built structures.
“We have been holding discussions on our natural heritage because when we talk about heritage, natural heritage must be included. It traces our history—what happened through the years and why we are facing problems today,” she said. / ABC