MCCCI to meet traders in a bid to lick flooding

CEBU, Philippines - The Mandaue City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) is set to gather all business establishments in Mandaue City in a meeting to look for solutions to the flooding in the city.

MCCCI is one of the members of the Butuanon River Management Board which is tasked to rehabilitate existings rivers and creeks in Mandaue City.

Marlene Bedia, executive director of MCCCI, said that since Mandaue City is an investment center, there is the need to address the city's flooding so that more investors will come and in the process bring more jobs to residents.

Bedia said that for the city to entice more investors to do business in the city, it is of utmost importance that it find a win-win solution to the flooding.

She said the chamber will talk to business establishments, especially the Cebu Rolling Hills, whose establishment has caused the flooding along A. S. Fortuna Street in barangay Banilad, regarding the perennial problem.

She said flooding adversely affects business because it causes bottlenecks and, as a result, delivery of products is delayed.

She also said clogging of rivers and canals need attention in order to prevent these from overflowing.

When the Cebu Rolling Hills was constructed in barangay Banilad in 1994, a few years after, A. S. Fortuna Street then began to be flooded in which water reached up to waist deep during the rainy season.

It was also learned that the Cebu Rolling Hills contribute to the flooding along the stretch of A. S. Fortuna after the Mahiga creek which traverses the area was covered with the construction materials it owns.

Some houses built by informal settlers and a private warehouse block the waterway.

Fe Walag, director of the University of the San Carlos Water Resource Center, said only a small inlet has been built along this street ad that there is the need to widen its opening so that it could immediately subside the bulk of water that comes in.

However, Florentino Nimor, the city planning chief said A. S. Fortuna Street is under the jurisdiction of the DPWH and the city cannot rehabilitate any national government project.

He however assured that with such findings, his office will coordinate with DPWH on what to do with the inlet.

It was also learned that there were lapses on the part of the Bureau of Lands over its failure to recognize the presence of creeks in the city.

And with this, the city's master drainage plan must be reviewed taking into account all the creeks in the city, he said.

Bedia said that during the meeting, establishments will be told that they are encroaching on a national property.

When the flooding problem in barangays Banilad and Talamban were remedied, water then settled in Mandaue City. — THE FREEMAN