City execs meet over Mahiga today

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City officials would like to sit down with their counterparts in Mandaue City over the demolition of footbridges at the Mahiga Creek.

“We would like to have a conference with the Mayor (Jonas Cortes) and the legal officer of Mandaue because there is an order by Mayor Michael Rama to demolish the footbridges that connects Mandaue and Cebu City in Mahiga Creek,” Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said.

City Attorney Jerone Castillo, City Administrator Lucelle Mercado, and PROBE head Raquel Arce will face with Mandaue officials with Labella today.

The Mahiga Creek is identified as one of the contributors of heavy flooding in Cebu City each time there is a downpour because it can no longer hold enough water because of the trash that has clogged it.

Labella said demolishing the footbridges that are being used by illegal settlers along the creek is one way of solving the flood problem in the city.

“It (footbridge) has blocked the flow of (water) kay duna naman mga concrete naman gyud,” he said.

“Cebu City cannot do this alone. We need to coordinate and collaborate with Mandaue City,” he added.

Castillo said the survey of the Prevention Restoration Order Beautification Enhancement  team identified 24 footbridges to be demolished. The construction of two bridges was reportedly funded by Barangay Subangdaku of Mandaue City Barangay Mabolo of Cebu City.

Castillo said his office would serve the clearing order to the ones that built the footbridges. Still, he said that while the law disallows structures within or on top of a river, the wellbeing of the settlers also needs to be taken into account.

“We have to consider also if there are other access routes for them (settlers) if we remove the structures,” he said.

“Dili man gyud unta na pwede, unless hanging bridge nga dili maka-cause og destructions. Like the three-meter easement, atras ka sa pikas nga side and other side atras pud, and ang ibabaw pud, dili pud pwede,” he said.

He pointed out that the footbridges also post danger to those who use them because water can actually gush through them when the creek overflows.

“Enkaso og naay kahoy nga naanod, bungkag ang bridge and mangamatay ang mga tao nga maglabang-labang ana. Maabtan maning bridge sa tubig, there’s too much danger kay maabtan na,” he said. – (FREEMAN)