Mandaue City has begun clearing and deepening Tipolo Creek as part of its immediate response to flooding, with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region VII deploying equipment to the waterway.
The dredging operation began this week after the city requested assistance from the DPWH following heavy flooding that hit parts of Mandaue on July 30.
City Administrator Atty. Gonzalo Malig-on said dredging is one of three short-term measures identified by the city government to provide immediate relief to flood-prone communities.
“Usa sa nakita nga immediate solutions is i dredge ni diri, of course, this is just one of the solutions daghan pa ta og angay buhaton, short term is kaning pag dredge,” Malig-on said. (One of the immediate solutions identified is to dredge this area. Of course, this is just one of the solutions because there are still many things we need to do. In the short term, it is the dredging.)
Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano wrote to the DPWH last week requesting dredging equipment. The agency lent one piece of equipment, which Malig-on said is currently sufficient for the operation.
The equipment began mobilizing on Monday night, Aug. 10, with DPWH personnel deployed to assist. The city government is providing fuel for the equipment.
The dredging will cover Tipolo Creek from Barangay Tipolo through Barangays Guizo, Mantuyong and Centro.
A portion of the creek in Barangay Guizo, however, cannot immediately be accessed because of a private structure. Malig-on said the city is seeking permission from the property owner to enter the area once the operation reaches the site.
“Doon ta mu-access dihang dapita kung maabot na ta sa (Barangay) Guizo,” Malig-on said. (We will access that area once we reach Barangay Guizo.)
Malig-on said heavy siltation in Tipolo Creek, combined with high tide, contributed to the flooding that affected at least four barangays.
Water from the creek can overflow from Barangay Tipolo toward Guizo and Mantuyong, he said.
Dredging is expected to increase the creek’s capacity to carry water and help restore its waterway, which has been obstructed by trees, soil and other debris.
“Kung ma dredge na, mudako ang capacity sa sapa nga maagian sa tubig,” Malig-on said. (Once it is dredged, the creek’s capacity to carry water will increase.)
He said the city will try to clear the entire stretch of the creek if conditions allow, but the initial operation will focus on areas that can be accessed immediately and are expected to provide relief to flood-prone communities.
The other two short-term measures identified by the city are the installation of a pump at Mayor A.S. Fortuna Elementary School and the clearing of the area beneath houses near the creek in Barangay Guizo.
Malig-on said the creek has narrowed to about 1.5 meters in that portion, compared with its original width of around five meters.
“Hangtod sa mahimo, nahimo na dayon ang tulo ka immediate nga buhaton,” Malig-on said. (As much as possible, the three immediate measures have already been undertaken.)
The measures were identified after the July 30 flooding, which affected several areas in Mandaue, including Barangay Guizo. Students at Mayor A.S. Fortuna Elementary School were among those affected and had to be rescued using rubber boats.
Malig-on thanked the DPWH Central Visayas for immediately responding to the city’s request for equipment.
The city is treating the dredging as an immediate flood-control measure while it continues to pursue longer-term solutions to recurring flooding in Mandaue.
Photo courtesy of Mandaue City Public Affairs Office
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