Flooded pathway disrupts students’ access to Dumlog school

TALISAY CITY, Cebu — A pathway that students and residents in Dumlog, Talisay City use becomes flooded even during moderate rain.

The pathway is located outside the Dumlog Barangay Hall and Dumlog Elementary School. Though it has foot stepping blocks, the steps get covered with water when it rains.

On rainy days, some students choose to take off their shoes and socks and roll up their pants to cross the area.

When the rain is heavy, the pathway becomes even more flooded.

Parents struggle during heavy rain

“Kung mag-uwan og kusog, nya wala gi-suspend, mo-baha dira usahay. Hubuon nalang nako akong sapatos para di mabasa ug ipa-saka akong pants para di sad mabasa,” said Kenjie Cabañero, a Grade 8 student who passes through the area to attend school.

(If it rains heavily and classes aren’t suspended, the area sometimes floods. I just take off my shoes and roll up my pants to keep them from getting wet.)

Parents who pass through the area to work, fetch their children, or accompany them to school also experience difficulties during rainy days.

“Kung mag-uwan og kusog, di gyud mi hapit kaagi. Maglisod gyud, mabasa atong tiil, atong sapatos, labi na akong anak nga estudyante, mabasa gyud,” said Jenelyn Mansueto, a mother of four sons.

(If it rains heavily, we can barely get through. We really struggle, and our feet and shoes get wet, especially my child who is a student.)

Carrying their children for their protection

She said that workers also risk getting their uniforms and shoes wet while crossing the flooded area. To keep her children dry, she sometimes carries them or wears boots.

“Usahay absent na lang sila, labi na kusog ang uwan niya bisag wala gi-suspend,” Mansueto added.

(Sometimes, they just miss school, especially when the rain is heavy, even if classes have not been suspended.)

Barangay Dumlog plans drainage

The barangay said that it already has a plan for a drainage system. It’s only waiting for the necessary approval.

“The barangay is taking action or addressing the issue through pumping out the water every time nga mokusog ang uwan (hard rain falls),” said Frank Larobis, Dumlog Sangguniang Kabataan chairman.

Larobis added that the barangay plans to install more foot stepping blocks. That way, students, workers, and residents would have more space to pass through the area.

He also said the drainage project is still undergoing the process required before its budget can be released and implemented.

For the meantime, the barangay continues to pump out floodwater and use the foot stepping blocks as temporary measures to help residents cross the flooded pathway.

School explores another solution

Meanwhile, Jiores Lascuña, Dumlog Elementary School’s disaster risk reduction and management coordinator, said the lack of drainage contributes to the flooding in the school area.

Lascuña said the school had requested a drainage project from the division office after learning that funding was available. However, an engineer who inspected the area found that the difference in land elevation would make the project difficult and costly.

“Ang hinungdan ana nganong magbaha ang skwelahan kay walay drainage. Among gi-request gyud sa division dinha kay naa man ang budget, mao to ang drainage,” Lascuña said.

(The reason the school gets flooded is because there is no drainage. We requested a drainage project from the division since there was already a budget for it.)

He explained that the ground would need to be raised by about one meter to allow the water to flow toward the drainage system along the road.

Temporary measures to help students, residents

The difference in elevation and the difficulty of bringing machinery to the area, however, made the project more complicated.

Because of this, the engineer recommended constructing septic tanks instead. Lascuña said that the school plans to use the drainage budget to construct two large tanks that would help contain floodwater.

Residents in Dumlog hope for a proper and immediate solution to the flooding, particularly a way for the water to drain and prevent the pathway from becoming difficult to cross during rainy days.

For now, the barangay and the school continue to rely on temporary measures while their proposed solutions for the flooding are being processed.

Jillian Cabañero is a student of Talisay City National High School’s Special Program in Journalism under Candice Grace Cabras Maque. This report is being published as an extension of student journalism and as part of CDN Digital’s goal of promoting journalism that builds communities in Cebu and beyond.

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