CEBU, Philippines — Two men died while a boy was reported missing in Cebu City as floodwaters gushed through several barangays after heavy rains inundated Metro Cebu for a few hours evening on Tuesday, October 13.
The casualties were identified as Labiano Detuya, 85, of Sitio Creekside, Barangay Lorega San Miguel and Leonardo “Kaka” Otto, 49, of Barangay Lahug. The missing boy is reportedly a street dweller.
Ramil Ayuman, head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, said Detuya may have slipped when floodwaters entered his house when he went down to the ground floor. Otto, meanwhile, was swept away by flood to the boundary of Lahug and Barangay Busay.
Reports had it that the boy was also swept away by floodwaters into a river that traverses General Maxilom Avenue, an area in uptown Cebu City that was flooded heavily that night.
Ayuman said a search and retrieval team is looking for the boy. Yesterday, the team started the search at the bridge near the Iglesia ni Kristo on General Maxilom Avenue and down the river going to Pier 3.
"Di na ko kabawo kung pila kabuok panimay ang affected, but the entire city is grabe gyud, especially sa Mango (General Maxilom) Avenue," Ayuman said yesterday.
General Maxilom Avenue is in Barangay Kamputhaw.
Ayuman said at least 20 barangays in the city experienced flooding and landslides. Aside from Kamputhaw, the other barangays with the most number of residents displaced are Talamban, Kalunasan, Pulangbato, Pit-os, Malubog, and Sambag 2.
Based on the initial data, 16 families were affected in Talamban; 33 families (136 individuals) in Kalunasan; 62 families (230 individuals) in Pulangbato, and 41 families in Pit-os.
All those affected were given assistance by the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS).
Garbage
Mayor Edgardlo Labella said what was prominent at the areas that were flooded was the large volume of garbage city personnel saw during initial assessment.
"That was the first time that we have that magnitude of (flooding). And, one of the things that we found out when we went around at dawn this morning, was the volume of garbage. Daghan kaayo'ng basura (There was a lot of trash),” the mayor said yesterday.
The city dispatched personnel from the Department of Public Services (DPS) as early as 3 a.m. on Wednesday "to start cleaning the mess," especially on General Maxilom Avenue.
Ayuman urged all barangays to provide City Hall with details on the damage in their areas so that CDRRMO can assess the overall damage of the flood.
Interventions
Ayuman said he will recommend to the disaster council that residents living within the three-meter easement zones of rivers and creeks in the city be relocated.
Labella supports the recommendation.
"It's going to be a challenge but we really have to do it, especially in the Tejero creek area. There is already an appropriation by the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) and the only challenge that we have is on how to be able to ask, to remove the settlers there. And, I think they have already agreed, in principle, that they will be relocated… We assure them that they will be provided with relocation," the mayor said.
"Pinaka-worse is namatyan na gyud ta. Mao nang we need to talk with the (city) Engineering. Karon gyud, gitan-aw nato, naa pay budget sila nga flood control, P150 million, so I think magamit ni siya para sa immediate nga concern," Ayuman said.
(The worst part is that we lost lives. We need to speak with the engineering department because as we have checked, they still have a budget of P150 million for flood control, so I think we can use the money for immediate concerns.)
Councilor Joel Garganera, chairman of the City Council’s committee on environment, also said illegal settlers and all those living in danger zones will have to be relocated.
He said they have already discussed the matter with Ayuman’s team and the City Health Department so that health protocols against COVID-19 can be observed fully at relocation areas.
Also yesterday, Labella met with offices concerned to identify preventive measures.
Ayuman said CDRRMO is also coordinating with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in assessing the landslide prone areas in the city.
"Kaning mga landslide ug crack, nakig-coordinate ta sa MGB. We have to ask them nga i-revisit nato ang katong mga landslide prone areas. Kay the last time, 2017 pa man to ang report nya karon, sa kadaghan ron og mga uwan-uwan, for sure, naa na gyu'y mga na-affected diha… mas maayo gyud nga mga geologists gyud ang mo-interpret," Ayuman said.
(We have coordinated with MGB to revisit the landslide prone areas and areas with cracks. The last report was 2017 yet and, for sure, because of the heavy rains since, many more are affected now… it would be best if geologists will be the ones to interpret the data.)
Product of neglect?
Garganera said the heavy flooding was a product of years of neglect. He said rivers are “reflections of the true state of the city”.
“No matter how you beautify our city, if you cannot take care of our rivers, mura ra gihapog wa,” Garganera said.
He pointed out that creeks have become more shallow and narrow, thus, limiting their ability to hold water.
“Unless we are really serious in addressing the problem…. this is not just a question of structure, but a question of social issue,” Garganera said. —Caecent No-ot Magsumbol /JMO (FREEMAN)