EDITORIAL — Metro Cebu’s flood crisis demands unified action

The worsening flooding in Metro Cebu has reached a point where piecemeal solutions are no longer enough. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has already inspected the situation, and most recently, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon followed up with an assessment.

These visits underscore the urgency of national government intervention.

But national support alone will not solve Cebu’s flooding woes. Local government units must step up, not with fragmented, individual approaches, but with a unified and concrete plan.

Drainage systems, zoning enforcement, and disaster preparedness cannot be tackled in isolation by each city or municipality. Floodwaters do not respect boundaries, and neither should the solutions.

A coordinated strategy, backed by national resources and executed with local discipline, is the only way forward. Cebu’s rapid urbanization, inadequate drainage, and environmental neglect have compounded the risks.

Without decisive collaboration, residents will continue to suffer from paralyzing floods that damage property, disrupt livelihoods, and threaten lives.

Cebu needs a comprehensive flood management program, jointly owned by the national government and LGUs, implemented with urgency and unity. Anything less is a disservice to the people who endure the rising waters year after year.