ILOILO City – The Iloilo City Council has escalated its flooding investigation, expanding the scope to include not only government agencies but also private developers and contractors whose projects along waterways may have worsened the city’s flood woes.
In a joint hearing on Monday, August 11, the quad committees approved a series of sweeping measures aimed at identifying and holding accountable all parties — public or private — whose construction activities may have contributed to the worsening inundations in recent years. The move follows mounting complaints from residents and barangay officials over recurring floods during heavy rains.
The City Planning Office will pinpoint all waterways, creeks, and rivers in the city, as well as barangays frequently hit by floods.
The City Engineer’s Office must submit a comprehensive inventory of all public and private projects built along these waterways.
The City Assessor’s Office has been ordered to list private properties near waterways in preparation for potential expropriation to clear obstructions.
Barangay captains must formalize their complaints against the Department of Public Works and Highways – Iloilo City District Engineering Office (ICDEO) projects, attaching photographs, videos, and other evidence.
Contractors of ICDEO projects, subdivision owners allegedly responsible for narrowing waterways, and representatives from the private sector will be summoned to the next hearing on Aug. 28.
The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office will provide updated flood hazard maps, while the Iloilo City Task Force Drainage will present its assessment of last July’s flooding.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau will also be called in for technical inputs on environmental compliance.
Councilor Romel Duron, chair of the Committee on Public Services, Environmental Protection, and Ecology, said the widened probe is meant to “leave no stone unturned.”
“The people of Iloilo City deserve answers, not excuses,” Duron said. “We are looking at every possible cause — whether public works, private construction, or environmental neglect — and we will hold accountable anyone found to have aggravated our flooding problem.”
Duron was joined in the hearing by Councilor Johnny Young, chair of the Committee on Engineering and Public Works and Disaster Relief, and Councilor Sedfrey Cabaluna, head of the Committee on Public Safety.
The quad committees vowed that the investigation will proceed “without fear or favor” and produce concrete legislative and enforcement actions./PN
