Help or face closure

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu Mayor Mike Rama has called out the attention of the managements of the Cebu Country Club and Gaisano Country Mall for alleged obstruction of waterways and threatened to shut down their operations if no actions are taken.

Rama even went on cautioning schools and other establishments within the area, as broadcasted over Sugboanon Channel, the broadcast arm of PPMN, and the city’s News and Information over Facebook yesterday.

Rama conducted an early morning walkthrough in Paradise Village in Barangay Banilad yesterday and listened to the residents' problems in the area.

He then proceeded to St. Michael Village in Barangay Kasambagan and also checked other areas other than Banilad and Kasambagan.

“No sacred cow. Gub-a ang Gaisano Country Mall. Dili ang tibuok. Pero naay sapa diha nga nahimo na lang kanal,” Rama said.

Rama also mentioned Gaisano Main along Colon Street to also demolish the illegal structures that blocked the waterways in the area.

Rama then mentioned the Cebu Country Club.

“Tua didtoy kanal, nahiwi. I don’t know, ako giadto sa ilawom, ninaog man ko. Kinahanglan manabang sila..Dili sila manabang, ipasira sila!,” Rama added.

Rama also called the attention of the University of San Carlos in Talamban to help solve the flooding problem and to help fix a waterway in the area.

He also went on and asked the owners of the Kuan Tao Sian Temple, which is also in Banilad, to demolish a part of a property that is encroaching a nearby creek.

“Daghan kaayo tag trabahoon. Now, we have the direction. Guba gyud ta. Wala ta’y pili ha,” said Rama.

Earlier, Mayor Rama also disclosed that he wants the Task Force Gubat sa Baha expanded, involving the city council.

Like in the Covid-19 pandemic and the Sinulog, city councilors were assigned to oversee a barangay.

Ordinance needed

The mayor has also asked the councilors to draft an ordinance that will institute cleanup operations from Monday to Saturday in the barangays to mitigate flooding.

In response to the mayor's statement that calls for the “shutdown” of these two establishments should they fail to mitigate the flow of rainwater, Councilor Jerry Guardo, head of the Committee on Technical Infrastructure, said that it was just last week that they got to meet with the management of both.

Guardo said he has already instructed both establishments to secure their reports on their compliance with City Ordinance 2103, which is the construction of rainwater catchment.

“I remember, the Gaisano Country Mall was constructed way back 30 years ago that used to be a corn field, and we never had a problem of flooding at that time. Because of the massive development infrastructure, road concreting, totally paved parking slot, so it resulted to flooding,” said Guardo.

Rainwater catchment

Ordinance 2103, which was co-authored by Councilors Joy Pasquera and Nestor Archival, mandates establishment of the construction of rainwater catchment.

To mitigate the impact of flooding, the government calls the attention of the said establishments to implement this existing ordinance.

Guardo said that they have a formula as to the volume required by each establishment for rainwater catchment, thus highlighting that it must be sufficient enough.

“We have to determine nga gi-construct na rainwater catchment sa Gaisano Country Mall (and Cebu City Country Club) are still sufficient, and if not then we will compel them to build a new rainwater catchment in front of the parking slot,” said Guardo.

He added that the stored water can also be recycled for water gardening, car wash and such before it will be discharged to the public drainage system.

Gaisano's parking lot

Guardo also highlighted the Green Parking Ordinance that uses bricks as flooring that absorbs the water from the surface for the Gaisano Country Mall, just like that of in Il Corso.

“They are using bricks para inig ulan naa ray katuhopan kay karon man ilaha (Gaisano Country Mall), totally paved ilang parking.  Kung mag-ulan, wala nay katuhopan, so mao na ma pundo ang tubig, murag swimming pool. And I also called their attention, to demolish a part of that wall nila, they can come up with a design so that they can give more water access to the public,” he added.

As to the Cebu City Country Club, Guardo said they are now checking their compliance of rainwater catchment on their retention pond.

Currently, Guardo also said that they have also invited all subdivisions and establishments to do the same. –/GAN (FREEMAN)