City to prioritize drainage problem of barangay

CEBU, Philippines -  The Department of Engineering and Public Works has vowed to prioritize the solution to the drainage problem in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.

The City Council, in an executive session last Friday, tackled the problem, addressing the complaint of Casals Village Homeowners' Association  over the three-decade-old flooding that the barangay has been experiencing particularly in Garnet Street.

City Engineer Jose Marie Poblete said though that DEPW is yet to check if the road lot has already been auctioned by the city government before they could implement the construction and rehabilitation of the drainage system in the area.

"If wala ma-auction, ma-okay siya kay human na ang POWE (program of works and estimates) and the project is already included in the annual budget 2014 lump sum appropriation," Poblete explained.

He said the city government will need P4.6 million for the drainage's construction.

CVHOA president Ligaya Maribao said they learned that the road lot is still under the name of the developer even if it has already been donated to the city government.

But Maribao said they are aware that the city cannot allocate public funds for the drainage's construction if the lot is not under its name.

"The deed of donation was already received by the city government in 1980," she said further.

According to Maribao, the local government has already intervened to primarily solve the perennial problem in the area, but it was still not enough.

"The culvert is supposedly good for the size of our village, but we are receiving water coming from the mountain areas that go to our place," she said, adding that they are also receiving water from the neighboring barangays.

Councilor Sisinio Andales said it would be a waste of public funds if there would be no concrete solution to the problem.

 "Himoan og solution nga ang tubig from mountain barangays dili na maabot sa Casals para dili na ma-problema," he said.

Councilor Eugenio Gabuya agreed with Andales, adding that DEPW should be consistent in implementing drainage projects that would concur to the drainage master plan of the city.

Poblete was amenable to the recommendations of some members of the council.

"The reason why nganong pat-ak pat-ak ang atong drainage is because ang mga barangay mo-request man sila in the past, which does not necessarily concur with the drainage plan," he explained, adding that they are now correcting their process in the recent implementation of their projects.  (FREEMAN)