Streets in Mandaue, Cebu City flooded after downpour

CEBU CITY, Philippines—The start of the rainy season was marked by flooding on several streets in the cities of Mandaue and Cebu after a downpour that started at 3 a.m. on Wednesday.

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Traffic was heavy along S. Osmeña Street near Pier 4 around 5 a.m. after a mahogany tree was uprooted following the heavy rain, said Mark Gabuya of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC).

But Gabuya said CCDRRMC personnel cleared the road after 30 minutes.

Minor flooding was experienced along Colon-Junquera Streets, V. Gullas-Jakosalem Streets, V. Gullas-Legazpi Streets, Sanciangko- Junquera Streets and P. Del Rosario Street near Land Bank of the Philippines.

Joy Tumulak, operations officer of the Cebu City Transportation , said the flooding did not cause serious traffic congestion since it subsided when the rain stopped.

However, it was a different scenario in Mandaue City City.

A.S. Fortuna Street near the LH Prime Diagnostic Laboratory was not passable to small vehicles including cars and muliticabs due to the floods, said Mandaue City information officer Roger Paller.

Paller said they thought the flooding problem along A.S. Fortuna Street had been solved with the installation of box culvert at the junction of A.S. Fortuna Street and MC Briones Street.

But the old drainage at Sacris Road caused the water to flow back on A.S. Fortuna Street, creating a flood, he added.

Other flooded areas in Mandaue City were Purok 2 and Purok 6 of Barangay (village) Cubacub, Cambaro-Looc area, Sitio Abra in Barangay Alang-alang and boundary of Barangays Casili and Tawason.

Paller said 60 families consisting of 340 individuals who lived in low-lying area in Puroks 2 and 6 had been evacuated due to rising floodwaters.

When the water subsided, he added, the residents went back to their homes.

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In Cambaro-Looc area, the existing drainage was reportedly covered by buildings owned by some private companies.

In Alang-alang, the big culverts installed through a road improvement project of the Department of Public Works and Highways failed to connect to the existing drainage of the barangay, Paller added.

In Casili-Tawason area, Paller said they would check reports that the flood was caused by a subdivision in the area. RAM