Cimatu: Dredge rivers to fight flooding
By Jose Santino Bunachita
PIO Reporter
CEBU CITY (Sept. 6, 2022) — The cities of Mandaue and Cebu have agreed to collaborate with each other in the fight against flooding, especially that both share the problem every time the Mahiga River overflows.
In particular, Mandaue today pledged it support to Cebu City’s upcoming major clean-up drive on Sept.17, which signals the launch of its “Gubat sa Baha” project.
This, as former Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, the city’s consultant on environmental concerns, ordered the “Gubat sa Baha Task Force” to undertake dredging works in the city’s major rivers as one solution to flooding.
Cimatu, who was elected as Task Force chairman, met the members online this this morning to discuss preparations for the upcoming clean-up drive.
“The best way to solve the flooding is to dredge the rivers,” he said.
“We have to deepen and widen the rivers so that the water coming from the rain is not going to the streets of Cebu City, kundi papunta dun sa rivers,” he added.
We have to deepen and widen the rivers so that the water coming from the rain is not going to the streets of Cebu City, kundi papunta dun sa rivers.
Roy A. Cimatu, Consultant on Environmental Concerns
Cimatu explained that this was the same solution they implemented in the Marikina River, where they significantly saw improvement in the city’s flooding situation after dredging the river.
Dredging will be part of the activities during the clean-up drive next weekend, as well in the days or weeks afterwards.
This solution will also form part of the master plan that the city is drafting to address the flooding problem in the City of Cebu.
According to Atty. Jerone Castillo, Mayor Mike Rama’s assistant on special projects, the City of Mandaue is closely coordinating with the City of Cebu in its Gubat sa Baha project, especially since the two cities share portions of the Mahiga River.
“We will have a master plan for the City of Cebu, with assistance from the consultant from Mandaue City, which already has their own plan. Para we can have a consolidated plan for both Cebu City and Mandaue City,” Castillo told Cimatu during the online meeting.
Officials from the Mandaue City Planning and Development Office as well as their consultant, Hydronet, joined the task force’s preparatory meeting last Monday.
Mandaue City officials are also expected to join the upcoming clean-up drive.
Meanwhile, Cimatu said he will fly to Cebu on Sept. 12 to oversee preparations for the clean-up activity.
He will meet task force members and do a site inspection of the city’s major rivers.
Cimatu earlier directed national government agencies, such as the Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippine Coast Guard, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Philippine National Police, to participate in the upcoming clean-up drive. #
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