City hall pinpoints floodwater origins

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

CAGAYAN de Oro’s worsening problem on floods may require the help of people from neighboring areas that have turned this city as a natural catch basin.

City hall has identified the “problem areas,” and pointed to the origins of the floodwaters in the city: Mandulog River that has been affecting western villages and other bodies of water that stream to Lapasan and eastern parts of the city.

Allan Porcadilla, chief of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, said the floodwaters come from areas in Iligan city and Bukidnon.

When Iponan River overflows, its likely because of the volume of water from the Mandulog mountain that channels it to Cagayan de Oro from Iligan City via the Mandulog River. When Mandulog River swells, expect floods in areas surrounding Iponan River, Porcadilla said.

But when the Cagayan River swells, its because of a deluge of water from the towns of Talakag and Baungon, and Mt. Kitanglad in Bukidnon, he said.

Porcadilla said the floodwaters that submerged a section of CM Recto Ave., including parts of Limketkai center last month, originated from the Bukidnon towns of Manolo Fortich and Libona.

City engineer Roland Pacuribot earlier said the Bitan-ag Creek that traverses Limketkai center is linked to a bigger creek in Bukidnon.

Porcadilla said floodwaters in Gusa all the way to Puerto were due to the swelling of the Bigaan and Umalag River in Cugman and other streams of water in Tablon up to Bugo. The deluge of water also comes from Bukidnon.

“Mao na nga magbaha gyud ta kay  ang Cagayan de Oro morag nahimong catch basin sa ulan gikan sa Bukidnon og sa Iligan,”  Porcadilla said.

Mayor Oscar Moreno said the Department of Science and Technology has installed rain gauges in Lindaban, Mampayag, Dahilayan and other barangays in Manolo Fortich, Libona,  Baungon, and Talakag in Bukidnon.

But officials said there was a need for more gauges so city hall could collect more accurate data needed for flood warnings.

“Makadungog gani kag report nga ma-mention ang Lindaban sa Manolo Fortich, nagpasabot kana nga na-a diha gita-od ang rain gauges nga mag-determine unsa ka kusog ang ulan didtong dapita,” Moreno said.

Councilor Teodulfo Lao Jr. called on the  Mines and Geosciences Bureau to conduct a new geographic survey on Bukidnon and Iligan so that city hall could properly plan flood-mitigation measures.

Lao said he wanted to know from MGB and the environment department the status of mining operations at goldich Gango in Libona town, Bukidnon. He said the mining operations in Libona may have aggravated the city’s problem on floods.

Lao said he also wanted to know exactly how the plantations of multinational companies in Libona, Baungon and Talakag have impacted on Cagayan de Oro.

“Kay wala na may mga kahoy dihang mga dapita kay polos na man plantation. Kining tanang masusi kon  mag-conduct ug survey  ang MGB,” Lao said.