Expert: Flood-prone Cebu is self-destructing

Local

CEBU’s worsening floods aren’t just caused by heavy rain. They’re signs that the city may be on a path to self-destruction.

That was the warning from engineer Carlo Jaca, a structural integrity expert based in Cebu, during a forum on Wednesday, July 23.

He said Metro Cebu’s unchecked development, shrinking green spaces, and outdated drainage system are creating a crisis that “we’re building ourselves into.”

“Congested naman gud kaayo ta so mura tag mag self-destruct eventually,” Jaca told reporters. “We have very poor planning.”

According to Jaca, floodwaters now have nowhere to go because natural soil surfaces have been replaced with pavement and buildings.

“Almost everything is concrete. There’s nowhere for the rain to seep in,” he said. “If you look at areas that don’t flood, they are often less urbanized. Nature’s natural flow has been disrupted.”

He said the flooding that hit Metro Cebu after the July 16 monsoon downpour is no longer just a seasonal problem; it’s structural.

“Even light rains now cause flooding. That’s how bad it’s gotten,” he added.

Jaca believes part of the solution starts with the barangays.

“Barangay captains have executive, legislative, and even judicial functions. They can audit open spaces and identify where to build multifunctional public spaces with underground retention tanks,” he explained.

He cited Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig as a successful model, where a half-kilometer-long retention tank prevents flooding.

“What if every barangay in Cebu had one?” Jaca said.

By law, developments must allocate 30 percent of their land to open green space and install water catchment systems. But Jaca said enforcement is weak, and some developers simply ignore the rules.

“Some developers clear entire hills, even when the land’s structural integrity is questionable,” he said. “There are no public hearings. They just start building and selling units.”

In response to recent floods, Cebu City has declared a state of calamity and released P15 million for river desilting. But Jaca described this as a “band-aid solution.”

“You can desilt all you want, but if you don’t fix the urban planning problem, you’re just buying time,” he warned.

“The drainage master plan needs to be redone. The current system can no longer handle the city’s discharge.”

Jaca said he trusts that Mayor Nestor Archival, an environmental advocate, wants to do the right thing, but politics may get in the way.

“I don’t think money is the issue. It’s implementation, and making people understand why this matters,” he said.(TGP)