MAYOR Khymer Olaso is planning to rechannel the river or natural tributaries along the Putik-Guiwan and Tugbungan areas as a concrete solution to flooding in Zamboanga City.
Olaso said the plan stemmed from inspections he conducted in the three villages in recent days to determine the root cause of the problem.
He said similar inspections to find concrete solutions were also conducted in Sangali, Labuan, and other flood-prone villages.
During Monday’s flag ceremony, Olaso emphasized the urgent need for stronger, long-term, and sustainable solutions for Zamboanga City’s most flood-prone areas, noting that recent weather disturbances such as Typhoon Tino and Super Typhoon Uwan highlight the city’s continued vulnerability.
After the flag-raising ceremony, the mayor, together with members of the City Council, revisited the flood-prone areas in Guiwan, Putik, and Tugbungan to survey and firm up plans for the proposed river rechanneling project.
He appealed to all councilors, regardless of political affiliation, to support the initiative in the best interest of constituents who suffer from perennial flooding.
More than 1,200 families were evacuated to five evacuation sites due to flooding caused by inclement weather on Sunday, November 9, 2025.
However, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said the flooding was not widespread, although some areas were submerged due to intermittent rains and strong winds from Saturday night, November 8, until Sunday, November 9. (SunStar Zamboanga)