New projects must have flood control

CEBU, Philippines — It is about time that developers incorporate flood control mechanisms in their projects and to hold accountable those whose construction activities contribute to flooding in Cebu City.

This was the pronouncement yesterday of Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia during the kickoff program at the South Road Properties for the city government-led 13th Coastal Cleanup.

“As we do our clean up today, we must also recognize that all our efforts will be in vain if we are one dimensional in our fight…. We also need, especially us in the LGU, to reflect upon the rate and manner development is introduced in Cebu City,” he said in a message read by Karlon Rama, one of his executive assistants.

Garcia left for an official trip as soon as Mayor Mike Rama also returned to the country the other night. His office is tasked to lead the cleanup.

The vice mayor was referencing the recent massive flooding in a few areas in the city, especially in those that did not experience flooding before.

In his message, he said developers should also be reminded “to recognize the flood control lessons of nature,” adding that the City Council is now in the process of amending the City's zoning ordinance.

One of the key changes, Garcia said, would be that all property developments in the city will be required to “have permeable grounds diin ma-divert ang tubig ulan sa usa ka area hangtud ma-absorb sa yuta.”

He said this will help prevent water run-off while also helping recharge our aquifers.

“Ang Cebu City ra ba mobaha,  sa kadaghan sa mga tawo, kadlawon na muagas ang tubig sa ilang gripo…. Mura'g imposibleng pero we have both flooding and a water shortage at the same time,” Garcia said.

Specifically mentioning the massive flooding that happened at a commercial area in Barangay Banilad earlier this week, he said developers should also be mandated to have, from the start, flood control mechanisms in all of its development projects.

He said those projects that would be found to have caused or at least contributed to the flooding should also be held liable.

“It makes sense to also mandate flood control mechanisms in all development projects as early as during the construction phase, as well as establish mechanisms for accountability and liability when a construction project contributes to flooding in adjacent areas of lower elevations,” he said.

The vice mayor said this is the way to go to ensure that the city’s drainage system works and that rivers are clean and not constricted.

He also clarified that he was not discounting previous efforts and measure undertaken to solve flooding in Cebu city, saying that if not for them, including past coastal clean-ups, the situation in Banilad and in a few areas of the city would have been worse. — (FREEMAN)