City shifts to pier area for declogging, dredging

CEBU, Philippines — Despite some legal issues that the Cebu City government and the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) are entangled into, city disaster chief Harold Alcontin sees no problem in clearing Pier 2 area’s waterways.

Alcontin said the CPA has already been previously briefed on the measures undertaken by the Task Force Gubat sa Baha.

“Na-inform na (ang) CPA unsay action nato sa duha gyud ka pier…identified ahead already,” Alcontin said during a press conference.

He added the CPA was supportive during the massive declogging, desilting and dredging activities done at Pier 3 last year.

It was also learned that CPA does not have the capacity to do it by themselves.

With this, Alcontin said they have already informed CPA on their plans at Pier 2 and will brief them of their “stop-gap” efforts soon to address the massive flooding in the Colon area.

The city government emphasized that the pier area needs to be cleared and should be freed from garbage and other obstacles as it is where the mouth of the rivers are.

The city government has also already identified the top two areas that will be prioritized in the transitional housing – those at the Tagonol creek and Estero de Parian which includes those in the Pier 2 area.

There are around 140 families around Tagonol and 40 along Estero de Parian that will be the first ones to be relocated before the year ends.

Meanwhile, flood control projects worth P420 million intended for the Butuanon River in Barangays Maguikay and Tabok have broken ground already.

This flood control project is part of the P1.3 billion flood control projects recommended to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as flood mitigation measures in the flood prone areas in the city and to prevent massive soil erosion.

A 350-meter flood control structure in one area in Butuanon River in Maguikay costs P115,600,000, while P96,398,888 was set aside for a similar structure of about 342 meters in another area of the same river.

In Barangay Tabok, close to P200 million was set aside for a similar project spanning close to 700 meters.

Construction of flood control projects in Barangay Basak worth P250 million and P60 million for Jagobiao, and other flood control structures in different areas along Butuanon river worth P380 million are also underway.

The DPWH-7, for its part, is now conducting a project study to put up booster pumps and booster stations in the city to help mitigate flooding problems in the area. – Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon (FREEMAN)