Cebu adopts cluster-based flood control strategy to tackle flooding

The Cebu Provincial Government has adopted a localized, cluster-based approach to flood mitigation, requiring local government units (LGUs) to establish their own flood control task forces as part of a province-wide effort to strengthen drainage management and reduce flooding.

The framework is contained in Executive Order (EO) No. 74, signed by Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro on Nov. 19, 2025, which created the Metro Cebu Flood Control and Drainage System Implementation Task Force.

Under the executive order, the provincial task force will serve as the lead coordinating body responsible for planning, implementing, and monitoring flood control and drainage improvement projects across Metro Cebu and nearby areas.

Rather than relying solely on province-led planning, the system requires every participating LGU to organize its own local flood control task force.

These local groups will identify flood-prone areas, recommend mitigation projects, and coordinate with neighboring municipalities before submitting their plans to the provincial task force through designated regional clusters.

The framework divides participating LGUs into North, Central, and South clusters to improve coordination and encourage solutions tailored to local conditions.

During a provincial briefing on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, officials identified the Central Cluster as consisting of Cebu City, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, and the municipality of Cordova.

Provincial Planning and Development Office head Elizar Sabinay Jr. said flood management should begin at the barangay and municipal levels since local officials are more familiar with the flooding issues affecting their respective communities.

Sabinay explained that LGUs will be expected to determine which flood-control projects they can finance independently and which initiatives will require assistance from the Provincial Government, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), or other national government agencies.

The province has also categorized proposed flood mitigation measures according to implementation timelines to help prioritize projects.

Immediate interventions include projects that can be completed within days or weeks, while short-term measures are expected to take between three and six months.

Larger infrastructure developments, including the proposed construction of an impounding dam, are classified as long-term projects that may require five to seven years to complete.

Sabinay said the framework intentionally does not include a medium-term category to keep planning focused on practical, low-cost solutions while preparing for major infrastructure investments.

Among the flood mitigation projects identified are revetment works, diversion channels, drainage main systems, drainage lateral improvements, and flow control facilities.

The plan also includes the possible construction of dams, retention basins, lagoons, recharge areas, infiltration beds, and rainwater harvesting and storage systems designed to reduce stormwater runoff and improve water management.

One of the province’s priority structural projects is the proposed redevelopment of People’s Park within the Capitol compound in uptown Cebu City.

Provincial officials said the redevelopment is intended to become the Province’s most immediate structural intervention to help reduce flooding in Cebu City’s downtown areas by improving water retention and drainage capacity.

The flood control framework also extends beyond Metro Cebu.

Aside from the metropolitan area, Toledo City and the municipalities of Asturias and Balamban are included because they form part of the Mananga River watershed, where flooding and water management concerns affect multiple jurisdictions.

Provincial officials emphasized that rivers and floodwaters do not follow political boundaries, making inter-LGU cooperation essential in developing long-term flood mitigation strategies.

Vice Governor Glenn Anthony Soco likewise expressed support for expanding the planning coverage from Danao City in the north to Carcar City in the south, citing previous severe weather events that demonstrated the need for broader regional coordination.

Once completed, each cluster will submit its localized flood mitigation plan to the provincial task force for evaluation and approval.

A technical working group will then review the proposals, identify priority projects, determine possible funding sources, and coordinate implementation with participating LGUs and national government agencies.

Meanwhile, the Cebu Provincial Board is also considering a separate measure that would require business establishments throughout the province to install rainwater harvesting systems and catchment facilities as part of broader efforts to reduce stormwater runoff and strengthen flood resilience.