‘Enforce Rainwater Catchment Law’, Council Orders

Cebu City officials ordered for a strict implementation of an existing ordinance that requires building owners to have rainwater catchments in their structures while the City Hall building itself does not have them.

The City Hall’s Legislative Building which was renovated in 2007 does not have water catchment even if the City Ordinance 1711 was enacted and signed into law by then mayor Alvin Garcia in February 1998.

The ordinance was authored by then councilors Jesse Aznar, Felixberto Rosito, and Gabriel Leyson. Mayor Michael Rama was also a councilor then when the ordinance was passed.

The authors of the ordinance earlier explained that rainwater catchment should be required to conserve potable water and also to help minimize flooding.

It has been 15 years since the ordinance was approved but the city government failed to strictly implement it.

Councilor Gerardo Carillo requested the Office of the Building Officials (OBO) during the regular session last week to strictly implement the ordinance.

“With the recent flooding in the city, the strict enforcement of the requirement for cistern tanks or rainwater tanks as provided for in the city ordinance is timely and appropriate,” said Carillo. Rainwater catchment is also required under the Republic Act 6716 or the Rainwater Collector and Springs Development Law.