Public, barangays urged: Clean waterways

CEBU, Philippines — With the onset of the rainy season, the Cebu City’s Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) has called on the public and the barangays, especially those along the rivers and creeks, to help in declogging waterways in a bid to prevent flooding.

Assistant City Engineer Nilo Igot said it is important to keep the waterways and tributaries free of rubbish and debris to allow the water to freely flow and minimize flooding.

He appealed to the public to stop throwing garbage into the streets and waterways, and to practice recycling and segregation instead.

“Ang importante sad nga ang mga barangays nga naay sapa like Tejero nga motabang og bantay ug mag educational campaign ug information campaign sa ilang residente nga ang plastic dili ilabay sa sapa,” he said.

Igot said the job orders assigned in declogging and desilting the waterways collected tons of plastic wastes during their recent cleanup.

This year, DEPW has allotted P3.5 million for declogging and desilting of drainage systems and waterways, and another P1 million for road maintenance.

Igot said his office receives an average of 30 to 40 requests per day for declogging and road maintenance from the barangays.

It can be recalled that the Cebu City Council also asked the Office of the Mayor through the River Eco-Park Management Commission (REPMC) to clean and rehabilitate Estero de Pari-an.

Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera, in her penned resolution, said the Pari-an estero, which runs 1.5 kilometers through the flood-prone downtown Cebu City, should be de-clogged to prevent overflowing and flooding.

“It has been observed that there is a sea of plastic bags and bottles clogging the waterways of Estero de Parian in D. Jakosalem Street,” the councilor said.

With this, the assistant engineer said he supports the plan of Mayor Tomas Osmeña to implement a total plastic ban in the city.

Igot said the plastic ban has been proven effective in progressive cities like Mandaue, saying there is no reason for Cebu City not to follow suit.

Currently, the Office of the Mayor is still drafting the proposed measure.

Aside from garbage, Igot said illegal structures on riverbanks and waterways contribute to flooding.

Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office head Nida Cabrera earlier said her office is now profiling settlers living the riverbanks or near the river of the city.

This project, she said, would help the city address the settlers’ indiscriminate throwing of garbage on the rivers, creeks, and streams.  — KBQ (FREEMAN)