City unprepared for rainy season?

CEBU, Philippines - Government weather forecasters have already announced that the country may already experienced rains starting next month, but the Cebu City government until now has failed to make preparations to clear the major waterways of obstacles to prevent flooding when the heavy rains come.

While some local government units in other parts of the country have already started relocating to safer places their residents whose houses are built in the so-called “danger zones,” the Cebu City officials have no urgent move yet on the same problem.

When asked by The FREEMAN on what he will do about it, Mayor Tomas R. Osmeña, whose term is only up to June 30, said he has instructed urban poor consultant Gerry Marquez to look into the situation of families living within the river banks, particularly those at the Mahiga Creek in Barangay Mabolo.

Osmeña had already ordered the demolition of some 30 houses constructed at the river bed of Mahiga Creek sometime last February, but later recalled the order for humanitarian reason and postponed it after the school graduation. But the order was not implemented after the graduation due to the election campaign period.

The squatters just ignored the advice of the City Hall officials for them to voluntarily vacate the place, which is considered a “danger zone.”

Aside from being risky for the concerned families, their illegal structures also impede the normal and natural flow of water in the creek, thereby becoming one of the main causes of flood.

The SM City management has already made an advance payment of its tax amounting to P50 million to the city on condition that part of it would be spent for the development of the Mahiga creek.   (FREEMAN NEWS)