City has outdated drainage master plan

CEBU, Philippines — There is no updated drainage master plan for Cebu City which could guide the city government in the implementation of projects to address the perennial flooding problem.

Engr. Kenneth Carmelita Enriquez, head of Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW), admitted that the current drainage master plan is already 15 years old and is no longer relevant to the present situation of the city.

“We believe that the Drainage Master Plan needs upgrading since it was done last 2004 by the Consultants,” she said in her letter to the City Council.

The letter, dated July 17, was included in the agenda during yesterday’s regular session but was referred to the office of Councilor Antonio Cuenco, who earlier requested a copy of the drainage master plan.

In a separate interview, Enriquez said the upgrading of the city’s drainage master plan would take time and money.

She said it is better for the city government to look and study the 2016 Comprehensive Study for a Metro Cebu Integrated Flood and Drainage System Master Plan of the Department of Public Works and Highways-7.

“We can look at the master plan nga gibuhat sa DPWH especially the central cluster because it covers Cebu City. So, it will guide us to proceed to the next level which is the detailed engineering design,” she told reporters.

Part of the DPWH’s drainage master plan is the construction of major drainage trunks of which the Cebu City government can connect to, she said. 

Enriquez said the plan of DPWH also include the restoration of the major waterways into its original depth, width, and length.

If the city will use and implement the master plan of DPWH, she said the next step would be the formulation of the detailed engineering design to know the cost of the projects stated in the plan and implementation will follow.

As for now, Enriquez said her office is implementing the declogging of the waterways.

“Important ang declogging. Most of our drainage system, labi na sa urban, fully clogged. Ang tubig sa canals dili mag- flow so we have to remove a lot of garbage,” she added.

She said the executive department is now processing the hiring of more job order employees to do the operation. — FPL (FREEMAN)