Flooding in the City

     
Heavy rains cause flooding in Cebu City.
Some 150 families in Cebu evacuated due
to floods. Cimatu orders dredging of
Cebu City’s rivers to fight flooding. These
are a few of the recent headlines that we
have read about the problem of flooding
in the city. But what is really causing this
problem?

Let us look at the causes of this serious

flooding problem in the Queen City of the
South, such as improper ways of garbage
disposal, landfills, illegal settlers, and lack
of discipline among the citizens. These
can definitely cause environmental and
economic problems to our city which is
why we should address them. In what
ways can we help solve this problem?

Flooding seems to be a perennial problem

in Cebu City. But what is really causing
this problem? If you examine closely,
you will realize that it is really a
compounded problem caused by related
factors. First is the persistent problem of
solid waste disposal. Despite the
repeated reminders from the local
government, many Cebuanos are still
irresponsible in disposing their garbage. 
They simply continue to refuse to
segregate their garbage, to throw their
household trash anywhere, and to ignore
the rules and regulations on proper waste
disposal.  The government has already
spent more than P2 billion over the last 5
years just for garbage collection. Our
population has already reached the 1-
million mark this year. The increasing
population of citizens has also made this
worse as the garbage generated can
significantly increase.   In
addition to negatively affecting the
appearance of the city, these may cause
many other environmental and health
hazards.

Garbage being irresponsibly disposed can

clog waterways and eventually cause
flooding to the city. Since we are in a
tropical country, obviously we
experience a lot of typhoons and most of
the recent ones have been very strong
and devastating. Subsequently, the
heavy rains are not able to flow freely and
fill up city canals making the drainage
ineffective.  This causes the
houses especially those that are made of
light materials, that are poorly built, and
that are mindlessly located to be washed
out and endanger the lives of humans and
animals.

Landfills where the city’s garbage is being

dumped, have been causing  problems up
to the present.  Scavengers who are poor,
hungry, and desperate are not making
this any better and nearby communities
have been badly affected.  Moreover,
when the garbage is being dumped in
landfills, this is a problem to the
environment especially when
unsegregated.  Plastics and other non-
biodegradable materials as well as toxic
chemical wastes become a threat
to human life, animals, and plants alike. 
 
We are already feeling the effects of these
thoughtless practices in our city’s
economy which is already struggling,
worsening, and declining despite
government efforts.

The Cebu City government needs to

review its policies as well as its
implementation. There is a need to
reinforce the laws about proper waste
disposal. In addition to this, the
locations of landfills must also be
reviewed and studied so that they do not
affect the water supply and sanitation of
the community. The management of
these landfills must also be strictly
monitored.

Residents living in flood-prone areas,

especially those with poorly designed
houses, must be given a proper relocation
site where they can be safer during
disasters. Most importantly, all citizens
must learn discipline in terms of taking
care of the environment. Everyone must
show genuine concern for the community
where we live in.

Indeed, improper waste disposal is a real

problem that the city is facing given the
harmful effects to the environment.  This
is an important concern that we need to
address or the whole city will be in
danger.   
 
Let us take action to resolve this problem
before it is too late.  There can be no
second chances. Contrary to our current
practices, this will be our concerted effort,
our commitment to save our
environment, and our response to God’s
call to be His stewards.  It’s now or never.