Massive billion-peso flood control projects in Metro Cebu have repeatedly failed to protect communities from catastrophic damage, exposing a dangerous and costly disconnect in the region's disaster management strategy.
The Billions Spent and the Devastation That Followed
The debate over the effectiveness of these projects was reignited after Typhoon Tino caused severe flooding in key cities and towns across Metro Cebu earlier this month. The flooding submerged mountain barangays and severely affected areas along the Mananga River in Talisay City. This destruction occurred despite years of infrastructure work intended to prevent such events.
Official data reveals that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) spent a staggering P10.6 billion on flood control between 2016 and 2025. This enormous sum funded 131 separate projects across Cebu's major river systems, including the Mananga, Butuanon, Cotcot, and Lusaran.
A Costly 'Band-Aid' on a Gushing Wound
Environmental experts have now publicly labeled this massive spending as a failure. They argue that the infrastructure serves only as a 'band-aid' solution, addressing the symptom—raging floodwaters—while completely ignoring the root cause.
The core of the problem lies in a critical paradox. While engineers spend vast sums in the lowlands, widespread environmental destruction in the uplands renders these projects useless. The issue is not necessarily the volume of water from heavy rain, but the speed at which it travels downstream. Deforestation and land-use changes in the highlands strip the land of its natural ability to absorb water, turning rainfall into devastating flash floods.
The Inescapable Conclusion: A Need for Integrated Action
The recent devastation highlights a fundamental flaw in the current approach. The tension is clear: massive infrastructure spending is futile without parallel efforts to preserve and restore the upland ecosystems. The failure of the P10.6 billion investment underscores an urgent need for a strategic shift. A truly effective flood mitigation program for Cebu must holistically address both the engineering solutions in the lowlands and the environmental protection of the uplands.
