Davao City launches massive drainage cleanup to prevent flooding

Speaking at the I-Speak media forum, Thursday,  ASU Head Paul Bermejo said they  added more manpower to their clean-up operations of the city’s drainage system.

He said two teams were deployed to work day and night in critical areas in the Poblacion District and other flood-prone areas to remove any obstruction in the city’s storm drains.

“Ang priority nato, before pa ang kagabii na ulan, kay kadtong previous na mga frequently flooded areas, such as kining naa diri sa GSIS. So, gitirahan nato ang San Antonio Village kay dili ma-drain ang tubig diha gikan sa GSIS so mubaha diha sa McArthur Highway, he said.

He said drainage clean-ups are also regularly conducted in flood-prone areas such as Jade Valley, Laverna, etc.), Bermejo said.

However, Wednedsday night’s flooding took the ASU off-guard as new areas that were not usually flooded were submerged. Bermejo said teams were already deployed to clear the drainage system in these areas.

"Nadugay lang atong mga tao tungod kay aside sa mano-mano, kinhanglan nila pas-anon ang pila ka sako na mga gihabwa nila na materyales para ikarga sa atong truck tungod kay maski wheel barrow dili makasulod didto (Our personnel were delayed because aside from the job being done manually, they also have to carry sacks of retrieved materials to be loaded unto trucks because not even wheelbarrows can pass through these areas),” Bermejo said.

Bermejo, also said that his office has  stepped up its road clearing operations with teams operating 24/7 to remove any obstruction in city roads to prevent flooding and traffic congestion.

He said his unit is currently formulating ways to maximize the efficiency of the city’s road clearing schematics by establishing “Barangay Ancillary Services Team” in the densely populated areas in the city to make communities in the barangays maintain the cleanliness of their roads and waterways.

“After manghinlo mi, gina-turn over namo sa ilaha pati ang streets na ma-clear namo kay dapat sila na mu-maintain. So, dapat naa sila’y team pud, na counterpart sa ASU, na mutabang pud sa pagpanghinlo sa barangay,” Bermejo said.