CEBU CITY – The mayors of Cebu and Mandaue cities signed an agreement to rehabilitate two rivers that connect the two localities in an effort to address severe flooding.
Cebu Mayor Michael Rama and Mandaue Mayor Jonas Cortes signed the
memorandum of agreement and a pledge of stewardship committing to implement
conservation and rehabilitation measures at the Mahiga and Butuanon rivers,
which are common waterways shared by both cities.
During the signing, the mayors administered the pledge of
commitment of their respective personnel who will form a working group that
will lead the rehabilitation and conservation efforts in the two rivers.
Rama said the Cebu City government is committed to finding
solutions to the perennial problem of flooding which could have been coming
from the two rivers. “This is a commitment of the people in Cebu City and
Mandaue City to become stewards of the rivers,” he said.
The recent signing was the culmination of the two-day
collaborative river governance forum dubbed “Two Rivers, One Movement”, which
was also witnessed by representatives of the public sector, the business
community, and other stakeholders.
The agreement outlined the commitment of the two localities to
work together to solve the worsening flood problem in the downtown and uptown
areas here. The two mayors also agreed to establish a technical working group
whose members will meet in November to lay out action plans and proposals for
long-term conservation and rehabilitation efforts.
Cortes urged the public’s cooperation in finding ways to solve the
flooding as it is not only a problem of the government but also of the
residents. “Let us all be counted as one in making our communities a greater,
better place for all of us to live in. Let us all be counted as one keeping in
mind that an outstanding community starts with you and me,” he said. (John Rey
Saavedra)
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