City engineer Roland Pacuribot shows a 2016 “master plan” and feasibility study on urban drainage in the city conducted by a group called UP Planades. (photo by Joey Nacalaban)
- Advertisement -

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent .

CITY engineer Rolando Pacuribot on Monday denied the absence of a drainage master plan in the city which is being threatened by worsening problems on flooding.

- Advertisement -
City engineer Roland Pacuribot shows a 2016 “master plan” and feasibility study on urban drainage in the city conducted by a group called UP Planades. (photo by Joey Nacalaban)

Pacuribot said the University of the Philippines Planades has studied the problem on urban flooding in the city and has come out with a master plan. Government engineers, he said, are following this since 2016.

The so-called master plan however turned out to be incomplete and covers only some urban barangays in the city. The “master plan” also does not have the imprimatur of the city’s legislature.

Pacuribot said the city had no drainage master plan for years until after 2013 when Mayor Oscar Moreno asked the public works department to work on a comprehensive drainage master plan for the city.

He said this resulted in the “Master plan and Feasibility Study of Urban Drainage and Improvement of Related Works in Cagayan de Oro City.”

Pacuribot said the ongoing drainage construction projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways along Bitan-ag Creek, Kolambog creek, Gumamela, Carmen Creek, Sapang creek,  and NHA creek were based on the UP Planades study and master plan.

He said the river wall along Cagayan River from Bukana up to the bridge in Taguanao, Indahag, is also based on the OP Planades master plan.

Pacuribot said city hall was also guided by the UP Planades’ master plan in the implementation of some P156.5 million worth of flood-control projects. The city hall projects include the Alae flood control, Agusan flood control, Umalag River bank protection in Tablon, Agusan flood control, Bigaan River protection, seal wall grounded riprap for Zone 8, Cugman, river bank protection in Tablon, Cugman river bank protection, Dagong Creek main drain upstream in Carmen, Mindulog Creek bank protection in Puerto, Lutheran relocation site main drain in Canito-an, Agusan River bank  protection  structure (Agusan and Tablon sections, bank protection along Iponan River.

Pacuribot said the UP Planades’ master plan also includes the construction of a water basin in the  Bukidnon  area.

He however said the master plan could only cushion the impact but cannot guarantee a flood-free city.

“Dili man nato mapog-ngan ang kinaiyahan pero kon mahuman na ang pagtrabaho niining tanang  drainage system sa DPWH ug sa ato sa city hall, maka-mitigate hino-on kini sa ipikto sa pagbaha,” Pacuribot said.

But in July, Pacuribot told the Gold Star Daily, “Ma-o na ang mga drainage nga ongoing construction karon. Pero kon mo-ingon tag entire masterplan from the hinterland  barangays down to the city proper, wala pay ato ana.”

City hall spokesperson Maricel Rivera said the UP Planades masterplan does not cover the entire Cagayan de Oro, and is limited only to urban areas that are mostly affected by the flooding problem.

Councilor Teodulfo Lao Jr. yesterday frowned over claims that the city already has a drainage master plan even as he pointed out that such cannot be partial.

Lao said city hall cannot adopt or follow any master plan without the approval of the city council.

He said a master plan cannot exclude other barangays of the city, especially the elevated villages, because rising floodwaters in the urban areas come from the uplands.

Disclaimer

Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.

- Advertisement -