2 Sapangdaku houses must go

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama wants at least two houses along Sapangdaku River to be cleared because they are in immediate danger in case of another flashflood after the one that hit barangay Sapangdaku last Saturday.

Rama said only time will tell the safety of the families occupying these houses. The mayor had made an inspection of the flood-stricken sitios in Sapangdaku following consecutive days of heavy rains in Cebu.

At least 50 houses in Sapangdaku were flooded when the river overflowed. Properties were damaged and livelihood of the residents were affected.

The residents are blaming the ongoing construction of a bridge that is supposed to replace an old bridge. People living near the area said this has aggravated their flooding problem. According to residents and barangay officials, the culverts that the contractor installed blocked the waterway, causing the river to overflow. The culverts were destroyed to liberate the raging waters that washed away appliances and other properties of the affected residents.

Rama said that he called the attention of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) about the problem because Sapangdaku barangay officials came to him for help.

Rama said the DPWH had assured him that the culverts will be immediately removed when the water starts to rise. He questioned the DPWH now on why damage was already incurred before the culverts were removed.

He said he will meet with the DPWH and the contractor about the incident and to demand assurance that this will not happen again.

The mayor wants the project to be completed sooner. The P12-million Guadalupe-Sapangdaku Bridge is a national funded project and was originally targeted for completion last July yet.

Due to a conflict with a utility distributor, the project was stopped so a new deadline of completion was set for October.

Rama said the project must be completed as soon as possible so the people can use the new bridge. The old bridge was damaged by the flashflood and could no longer be used by heavy vehicles.

Rama asked the Department of Social Welfare and Services and the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to assess the damage of the floods and provide assistance to eligible beneficiaries. – (FREEMAN)