CEBU CITY – The mayors of the cities of Cebu and Mandaue have agreed to rehabilitate two rivers that connect the two localities in the aftermath of severe flooding that affected them for three days.
Mayors Michael Rama of Cebu City and Jonas Cortes of Mandaue City on Sept. 21 signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) and a pledge of stewardship to implement conservation and rehabilitation measures at the Mahiga and Butuanon rivers which are shared by both cities.
The MOA highlighted the commitment of the two localities to work together to solve the worsening flood problem.
“This is a commitment of the people in Cebu City and Mandaue City to become stewards of the rivers,” said Rama, who vowed to find solutions to the perennial problem of flooding.
Cortes, for his part, appealed to the public to help the government address the flood problem.
“Let us all be counted as one in making our communities a greater, better place for all of us to live in. Let us all be counted as one keeping in mind that an outstanding community starts with you and me,” he said in his speech.
The two local chief executives said a technical working group will be established to lay out action plans and proposals for long-term conservation and rehabilitation efforts.
Rama recently reiterated the city’s plan to demolish all structures that block the waterways as a means to prevent flooding.
“We are really into a massive and aggressive work to clear rivers and creeks of obstructions,” he said.
Rama issued the statement after a three-day weather disturbance that brought severe flooding in the city, especially Barangay Banilad, from Sept. 11 to 13.
The floods displaced at least 200 people as several houses and vehicles were submerged in floodwater.
The flood also inundated many houses in a high-end village and a mall in Banilad.
Rama said the city task force against flooding headed by former Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu is set to come to Cebu to help the local government identify and implement the demolition of structures that encroached on the three-meter easement of rivers.
The mayor appealed to businessmen whose establishments are obstructing waterways to voluntarily demolish their structures and help the city solve the flood problem.
Rama appointed Cimatu as a consultant for the environment in December 2022 and put him in a task force that will implement the mandatory three-meter easement along rivers.
In February 2023, President Bongbong Marcos inaugurated a housing project at the city’s South Road Properties (SRP) that will serve as the relocation site for informal settlers occupying the river banks.
“We will demolish. There are no sacred cows here,” Rama said.
READ: Severe flooding hits 2 Metro Cebu cities