President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the launch of Oplan Kontra Baha at Mahiga Creek near Logarta Bridge, the area that divides Mandaue City and Cebu City. The program is part of a nationwide move to strengthen disaster readiness and help communities handle frequent flooding.
The initiative focuses on several cleanup and mitigation tasks that government agencies will carry out in flood-prone zones. These include dredging and deepening rivers, clearing garbage and debris, cleaning waterways, and removing illegal structures blocking the natural flow of water. Officials said these steps aim to ease overflow during heavy rain and restore safer passage for runoff.
Mahiga Creek is a key section of the twelve kilometer Subangdaku–Mahiga river system. The creek and its connected channels have a long record of overflowing during strong downpours, causing concerns for nearby neighborhoods in Cebu City and surrounding areas.
The President launched the same program in Parañaque City in recent weeks as the first pilot area before expanding it nationwide. Authorities said Cebu is among the priority locations because of recurring incidents of creek overflow.
Local officials welcomed the program, noting that chronic waste buildup and unregulated structures have contributed to flooding. Oplan Kontra Baha’s cleanup efforts will focus on correcting these issues in stages, with national and local agencies working together.
The launch in Cebu marks the start of the program’s wider rollout, with the government expecting more areas to begin similar operations in the coming months.
