Mandaue takes steps to prevent flooding

CEBU, Philippines - To prevent another flooding similar to the one which occurred last January, Mandaue City is bent on enforcing the Ecological and Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and the city's anti-littering ordinance.

Engr. Ricardo Mendoza, the coordinator of the Solid Waste Management Program in the barangays said he has already urged all the 27 barangays in the city to strictly implement the law, focusing on the proper segregation and dumping of garbage and the imposition of fines on violators.

Aside from the city's paid eco-wardens, members of the Barangay Intelligence Network (BIN) of the Mandaue City Police Office will also act as eco-wardens with authority to issue citation tickets to violators, he said.

Mendoza said after the deluge early this year, the residents still haven't learned from it.

"First time in history jud to siya nga baha kung dili magbag-o ug patuo ang residente mahitabo jud to ug balik nga naa taga liog nga baha," he said.

He said the city was lucky the flood happened during the daytime. "Had it happened at night, there probably would have fatalities," he said.

Association of Barangay Captain (ABC) president, Ernie Manatad said barangay residents find it difficult to break old habits such as disposing of garbage illegally, urinating in public, and putting up of posters made of plastic.

Barangay Umapad captain Nelson Rubio said the residents need to be informed more about the law. "Pulong-pulong" in sitios are being done to arrest the problem, he said. (FREEMAN)