AN OFFICIAL of the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (Oro Chamber) said the business community remained optimistic notwithstanding Monday’s massive flooding.
Irene Floro, vice president for the Services Sector, said while the business sector is confident of the city’s resiliency, they are also worried that disasters may slow down Cagayan de Oro’s booming economy.
Floro urged the City Government to move up and start building an urban district in Lumbia village as what the city has planned.
She said while the City Government is solving the problem downtown, it should also start moving and building uptown.
Floro was referring to the planned development center in Lumbia, which the City Government said is a strategic location with its small population and improved road networks.
Eileen San Juan, city investment and promotion officer, has earlier said that new road networks are being proposed to allow the free-flow of goods and services to and from the city proper and villages.
The Divisoria area remained as the city's business district where access to banks, financial institutions and commercial complexes, is easy.
In recent years, heavy vehicular traffic has become a perennial problem in the area and floods in the said area have also been daunting the residents when heavy rain comes.
“Definitely, naa gyuy (there's a) damage, there was loss of income, even for the manpower kay walay nakatrabaho ana na (because no one was able to work on that) day ang (the) damages that it has incurred, those supply nga nanga (that has been) submerge sa (into the) water, these are things nga dili nato mabalik (we can't bring back) overnight,” Floro said.
“Naa man plano ang city kaha na mabutang ta sa (the city has a plan of putting up in) uptown, then let’s push it, while we are solving the problem sa downtown, why not we start moving and building up to the urban hub in Lumbia,” he said.
Floro also suggests that the city should create a task force to review the city’s flood system and management control and look at the "heart of the problem" and come up with sustainable solutions.
The areas which the City Government identifies as catch basins should be resident-free, she said.
“All they have to look at the heart of the problem, what could be solutions, and get a drastic long-term solution of it because we cannot have flood every now and then, if this is the situation, we live in fear everyday,” she said.
“High time siguro nga naay (that there will be) home recovery program, kanang ibalhin mo (which will relocate them), and give a relocations site para ma-empty na gyud unta ni nga mga (to empty the) areas, dili lang kay sige limpyo unya pala kung magbaha (not just clean then everytime flood comes, shovel it). Kung mao na gyud na ang dalan sa tubig (If it's the path of flood water), let’s just accept it, move all of those people out,” Floro added.
Earlier this month, a draft of the National Economic Development Authority’s (Neda) Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022 projected that by 2025, Cagayan de Oro will be one of the metropolitan cities and will join other metro cities such as Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao.
“Dili raman kita ang siyudad nga gabaha (we are not the only city who experienced flooding) actually, even the first world countries gabaha pud (flooded too), but naa gyud silay (they have) review sa flood control and maka-come out gyud dayon ug (can come-out easily with) solution,” she said.
“Resilient man ta as Kagay-anon, I also credit both the city and Provincial Governments, they all have plans naman, like the city has a plan to put up a another city uptown, siguro it’s high time for us to support that plan kay whether we like it or not panaog man gyud ang tubig diha sa Cagayan de Oro,” added Floro.
“Daghan na daw (Many) investors nga gusto muanhi sa atong siyudad pero (wanted to come here but) the flood is the main issue nganong dili sila moinvest dinhi (they won't invest here), imagine the loss of opportunities for all of us,” she said.
As of Friday, January 20, the city disaster management council has yet to assess the damages of Monday’s flooding.
Initially, about 199 houses were totally damaged while about 953 houses were recorded as partially damaged.
