BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – City Hall here said drainage in parts here that are often flooded cannot absorb the volume of water on the surface brought by rains.
This was one of the findings during a meeting by Mayor Albee Benitez and Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran with officials from the Lone Highways District of the Public Works Office, and the offices of the Disaster Risk Reduction Management and City Engineer’s after floodwaters rose quickly in the afternoon of Monday, 3 October 2022, after monsoon rains fell here and led to floods, some in commercial areas.
The 22 areas identified to have been flooded are: Hi-Strip, a commercial area in Villamonte village, SM City in Barangay 12, Burgos-Hilado Streets, Downtown area, Gonzaga Subdivision, Libertad Public Market, Central Market, Lacson-Hernaez Streets, Rosario-Mabini Streets, Gonzaga-Mabini Streets,
Gonzaga-Lopez Jaena Streets, Luzuriaga-Gatuslao Streets, Gonzaga-Mabini Streets, Lopue’s East, Lupit River in Barangay 40, Mandalagan River, Santa Ana in Barangay 31, JR Torres Subdivision, Gatuslao-Hernaez Streets, Mabini-Libertad Streets, Hernaez Street (Cokin Building), Magsaysay Flyover, and Magsaysay-Lacsin Streets.
The officials noted surface water run-off in these areas reached between half a foot to two feet, a volume that the existing drainage system cannot absorb.
Surface runoff is defined as simply water brought by rains running off the ground without human interference.
The Information Office report added Monday’s rain was classified as moderate with a volume of 5.5 to 7.5 liters while the flooding happened during low tide.
A seven-point short term plan was also proposed during the meeting.
These are: the replacement of manhole covers with steel grates, drainage declogging, widening of water inlets, widening of the openings of catchbasins, the strict implementation of collection and disposal of garbage in the barangays, and the need to inform stakeholders.
The long-term plan involves the construction of diversion channels that would release drainage s to relieve the SM City and downtown areas.
