CEBU, Philippines - Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza said clearing operations by the City Engineering Office at the Pilipog River near the Cebu Light Industrial Park in Barangay Basak are ongoing.
Radaza said in a press conference that the city’s private contractor, which coordinated with the City Engineering Office, has started to take measurements as to how deep they will desilt the said body of water.
“Gi-sugdan na man nila og tan-aw ug sukod og kung asa ang silts didto, nga palawman, og i-declog ang mga areas sa mga kilid, ug atong drainage system,” the mayor told reporters.
Sitios Tungdon, Sto. Niño, Iba and Sudtunggan in the barangay, which has around 1,500 residents, were affected by flood early this month that went inside the living rooms of their houses and has caused foot infections and sickness to children.
Basak barangay captain Isabelito Darnayla said that four water pumps from the barangay hall were placed in the area while the city’s Solid Waste Management Office sent additional water pumps.
The equipment which the City Engineering Office will use for their clearing operations has yet to touch the river as the area where a wall that divides CLIP and the houses near the private company was surrounded with bushes and shrubs.
“Ang City Engineering [ug] ang kontraktor nagkuha sa mga... di ba naa na’y mga tangkong (kasagbutan), ilaha na gi-clear,” Radaza added.
The mayor also said that flood in the area has already subsided a few weeks ago but the city will continue to do siphon operations since the barangay is prone to flood and is identified as low-lying.
“So padayon sila, dili ra ingon nga katong pag-baha mao ra sa’y ato pag-lihok, dili (ingun ana). Actually, mao sab g’yud ‘to ang naka-focus (nato) og pag-ayo. We didn’t expect nga mo-baha og ingun adto,” Radaza said.
She instructed the engineering department to finish the clearing operation within this month. City Engineer Allan Pedrigal then assured that his office will try its best to finish the operation in the said barangay. (FREEMAN)