A portion of the flood control project in Barangay Pagatpat, Cagayan de Oro City, which was reported earlier to have cracks, has collapsed after the water level in the Iponan River rose following heavy rains on Sunday, October 26, 2025.

The damaged section has been reduced to piles of soil after getting eroded by the current from the river.

According to the barangay, residents raised concerns since the flood control structure served as a vital protection against floodwaters from the river.

Barangay chairman Achilles Babaran said they have prohibited people from jogging or walking along the damaged portion temporarily as a safety precaution.

“Atong iklaro lang gyud sa katawhan nga ang atong tumong didto, atong makita kung unsa ba ang safety sa atong katawhan kay daghan ta’g katawhan dinha nga gahimo og mga physical nga exercise, walking, ga-jog, atong gilantaw kung unsa ba ang integridad ani nga flood control,” Babaran said.

Residents and barangay officials also raised questions why no steel reinforcements were visible in the damaged area.

“Ultimo ta nga tawo nga magpahimo og balay o kung unsa man nga istruktura, kinahanglan man ta og kabilya, but so far, didto, yuta man ang nakita nato. Then ang bato nadahili katung gi-finishing sa bato, semento nga gamay. So makaingon ta nga substandard labi na karon nga init kayo sa national ang flood control project,” Babaran added.

It can be recalled that the same flood control structure was reported on GMA Regional TV One Mindanao in August 2025 after residents noticed cracks in the area.

The contractor immediately repaired the area by patching the cracks and joining the slabs.

According to the Department of Public Works and Highways-Northern Mindanao (DPWH-10), the project began in 2019 and was completed in 2022 with a budget of more than P106 million.

DPWH-10 said the damaged portion measures 56 meters out of the 283-meter Section 1 of the project. This part is located along the side of the Iponan River where the water usually hits, making it vulnerable to damage.

The agency maintained that the project was not substandard.

DPWH-10 explained that that structure used a stone masonry facing, which means that it was built mainly with boulders and had steel reinforcements only every five meters.

DPWH-10 added that implementation of projects varies depending on the design and the soil condition.

Repair works on the damaged portion are expected to start within the week, with the contractor reportedly covering the cost of repairs. However, no timeline has been set yet for its completion.