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Cebu City declares state of calamity following massive flooding

The Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council placed the city under a state of calamity on Friday, July 18, 2025, following massive flooding that sent communities inundated, and caused terrible traffic jams. The City Budget Office has assured sufficient funds for the Quick Response Fund to respond to needs. In a meeting, the Cebu City DRRMC tackled the massive flooding on July 16, 2025 due to intense rainfall dumped by the southwest monsoon (Habagat) enhanced by Tropical Cyclone Crising. The meeting discussed the need to further desilt and declog waterways; one of which is Tejero Creek that has long been identified as flood prone. Raquel Arce, chief of the Cebu City Traffic Office, discussed the challenges in dealing with persistent floods in Bonifacio and Lopez Jaena Streets. Engineer Lowell Corminal, chief of the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW), underscored the need for an amphibious excavator to clean up waterways, and more job order personnel (JOs) to help collect garbage and mud accumulating in these waterways. "Careful lang ta kay dapat ang amphibious nato moigo sa constricted river intake," Corminal said. As for Engr. Jose Marie Poblete, former City Engineering Office chief, he said that JOs complement City Hall services. "Mawaá gani ning mga tawhana, even for one week, two weeks, moapektar dayon sila sa atong mga trabaho ba kay mao man gud sila ang mga kamot ug tiil sa mga department kining mga JO," Poblete pointed out. Mercy Della Ceballos, City Budget Office supervising administrative officer, assured sufficient funds for the Local Disaster Fund that can be used to meet the needs for further desilting and declogging operations. "Out of the 810 (million), 12 million, 350 ra ang naay process for payments. Naa tay unobligated balance of 197 million," Ceballos said. Moreover, Mayor Nestor Archival directed expediting the hiring of 35 job order personnel under the Cebu City Engineering Office for the collection of debris during the desilting and declogging works. "Ang desilting nato, magsugod gyud, gikan gyud ta sa babâ, sa dagat padung diri sa ibabaw. And now we don't have that equipment, ang atong mga equipment dili man makahimo ana," Archival said. The Cebu City DRRMO vowed linkages with barangays. "Atong gi-implement ang Incident Command System sa atong Cebu City Government, nag- link na sab ta sa atong mga barangay, 60 percent pa ang atong na-link ang sa pagkakaron," said Councilor Dave Tumulak, chairman of the Cebu City DRRMO. — via Albert Aballe/GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak/ GMA Regional TV