ILOILO City – This city is moving beyond routine declogging toward a comprehensive overhaul of its drainage network as increasingly intense rainfall exposes the limits of short-term measures against flooding.
Mayor Raisa Treñas said the proposed Comprehensive Drainage Master Plan would assess the capacity of existing drainage systems, identify flood-prone areas and recommend long-term infrastructure investments.
“We are looking beyond short-term solutions. Through the Comprehensive Drainage Master Plan and the review of our drainage systems, we hope to provide lasting solutions to flooding in the city,” the mayor said.
The planned drainage review comes as city records showed that the Infrastructure and Facility Conservation Office (IFCO) completed 421 declogging and drainage maintenance operations in various barangays from July 2025 to June 2026, covering Treñas’ first year in office.
Despite these operations, Treñas acknowledged that declogging alone could not permanently solve the city’s flooding problem.
While the master plan is being developed, the city government is encouraging barangay officials and residents to directly request IFCO assistance instead of waiting for scheduled drainage maintenance.
“We encourage our barangay officials and even members of the public to coordinate directly with the Infrastructure and Facility Conservation Office if they need declogging or maintenance of canals and drainage systems,” Treñas said.
The initiative is part of the KaLimpyo Program, which provides continuous cleaning and maintenance of drainage canals to improve water flow and reduce flooding during heavy rains.
Treñas said year-round drainage maintenance had become more urgent as climate change brought increasingly intense rainfall.
“Our goal is to ensure that our drainage systems remain clear throughout the year because prevention is always better than responding after flooding has already occurred,” she said.
Cleanup operations are also being conducted under the Oplan Kontra Baha program in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment. Workers are regularly deployed to clear waterways and drainage channels.
These initiatives fall under the Rising Livability pillar of the city government’s RISE-to-ACTION Framework, which aims to strengthen urban resilience and improve public services.
The KaLimpyo Program also covers the repair, repainting and maintenance of footbridges, pedestrian lanes and government buildings to keep them safe and accessible.
Meanwhile, the city is implementing the Hapsay Kuryente Program with assistance from the Public Utility Group of Iloilo to remove hazardous and abandoned utility wires.
Under the program, utility lines are inspected and maintained, dangling cables that could cause accidents or fires are secured, and overhead wires are organized. City records showed that 523 post and utility-line maintenance operations were completed during the program’s first year.
Treñas said the programs reflect the city government’s commitment to making Iloilo cleaner, safer and more resilient amid the growing effects of extreme weather./PN
