The Mananga River in Talisay, Cebu which overflowed during the onslaught of super typhoon Tino. (Photo from Facebook)
By Tracy Cabrera
IN a bid to mitigate severe flooding in Cebu following the series of storms that battered the province recently, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to widen the Mananga River in Talisay as well as other rivers that have overflowed and caused several areas to be submerged in flood waters.
Public works secretary Vivencio ‘Vince’ Dizon explained that the scheme is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. to prioritize the flood management situation in the province to avoid any damages that will be left by future tropical cyclones.
“(This) will help control the flooding and in addition, we will be strictly enforcing a ‘No Build Zone’ around the rivers,” Dizon enthused.
“Let’s help the local government to fence downstream, and then upstream so we can recover the river. That’s the key now, the priority is to recover the river,” he added.
According to the latest report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), super typhoon Tino (international name Kalmaegi) affected a total of 1,526,203 families or 5,458,858 individuals in November the previous year. Of this figure, 1,652 families or 371,343 individuals came from the Central Visayas region.
The NDRRMC likewise reported 253 fatalities due to the catastrophe, with Central Visayas recording the most number of deaths at 138.
metrosundaily
