Governor: Poor city dev't plan partly to blame for Tuguegarao flooding

Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba has partly attributed the massive flooding in Tuguegarao City during Typhoon Ulysses' onslaught to "flawed" development planning. 

"Ito po siguro was the wrong developmental plan din po ng Tuguegarao City. Unang una po 'yung mga waterways kasi, gumawa sila ng bahay-bahay noon pati 'yung mga low-cost housing nilagay nila doon. So hindi na po lumalabas 'yung tubig," Mamba said at a Laging Handa briefing on Thursday.

"At wala namang maiging drainage system sila. So this has become a problem, 'yung mga na-trap na [tubig], parang water impounding na po," Mamba added, as he described flooding in the city as a "perennial" problem.

"Ito po 'yung mga wrong na nangyari sa past administrations, na pati waterways ginawa nilang mga human settlement."

Mamba said there needs to be a masterplan to address the situation in the city.

Likewise, the governor said evacuation centers should be constructed in suitable areas in the province.

"Kailangan din talaga ng long-term and medium-term plan on the construction of evacuation centers na nasa tamang lugar. Kasi some of our evacuation centers hindi na po nagamit noong lumaki nang lumaki ang tubig."

Cagayan was placed under a state of calamity last month due to the widespread flooding in the province in the wake of Typhoon Ulysses that wreaked havoc in Luzon.

Many areas in the province became isolated due to roads rendered not passable by floods.

Nine were reported to have died from flooding in Cagayan. —LBG, GMA News