Bacolod flooding sparks online outcry, cleanup ordered

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — Residents took to social media to share their experiences as heavy flooding hit parts of this highly urbanized city after a brief but intense downpour Tuesday afternoon.

Netizens posted videos and photos showing flooded streets in areas such as Lacson Street, Barangay Mandalagan and the Reclamation Area—including parts outside two major shopping malls, where floodwaters reached gutter level.

One video captured a motorcycle rider falling into an open manhole, and nearby motorists, also stranded in the flood, quickly came to the rider’s rescue.

A netizen named Kat shared a photo captioned, “What happened Bacolod? Baha everywhere!”

Kim remarked in the local dialect, “Daw ka normal nalang gid ya ang baha sa Bacolod. (Seems like flooding became a normal thing in Bacolod.) It’s more fun in BACOLOD.”

Former Negros Occidental Gov. Rafael Coscolluela also shared, “Is anyone flying a drone over Bacolod City to see where all the floodwater is coming from and where the outlets are failing? And to see which rivers and creeks are overflowing? And is the rainfall being measured to check comparative volumes? The flooding is happening in areas not previously affected.”

Another resident, Lyn, asked, “Pila lang ka oras ang ulan pero amo ni ang resulta. Ano pa gid kung whole day mag-ulan? Is this still Bacolod or BAHAcolod?”

One netizen also shared, “It’s more ‘baha’ in Bacolod.”

Others criticized flood control efforts and questioned the use of public funds, with one user commenting, “This is where our taxes go,” while referencing the flooding outside a shopping mall at the Reclamation Area.

Some people found humor in the situation, editing photos of themselves riding boats or jet skis through the flooded streets.

The flooding also worsened traffic congestion, particularly along Lacson Street, where kiosks and stages for this year’s MassKara Festival were being set up.

In response, the city government dispatched a rapid drainage team to clear blocked waterways reportedly clogged with waste, and although floodwaters eventually subsided, officials remained on alert.

They noted that the high tide before noon had prevented waterways like the Mandalagan River from properly draining the rainwater.

According to the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), 11 barangays were flooded and monitored.

These villages include Barangays 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 19 and 20, as well as Mandalagan and Villamonte, and no evacuation was reported while Mambuloc Creek in Barangay 20 overflowed and some residents in Hervias, Barangay Villamonte, were rescued for preemptive evacuation.

Mayor Greg Gasataya and the City Engineer’s Office conducted an ocular inspection Wednesday of areas affected by heavy flooding Tuesday due to heavy rainfall.

They found that clogged drainages and waterways caused Tuesday’s rise in floodwaters, particularly in Barangay Villamonte and Eroreco in Barangay Mandalagan.

They also discovered sacks of garbage and overgrown vegetation in waterways that obstructed drainage systems at the back of the University of St. La Salle (USLS).

A private perimeter wall also collapsed into a creek and caused blockages to the waterway near another school.

Gasataya directed the City Engineer’s Office to conduct clearing operations and undertake structural corrections to prevent recurrences.

“Once and for all, we have a timetable to follow kag waay na sang tinudlo anay. This is for the welfare of our people and today is a welcome development nga nagabuligay na kita nga mangin fully operational na ang Diversion Channel,” Gasataya said in a statement.

Two months earlier, Gasataya urged the Department of Public Works and Highways and Almana Construction and Development Corp. to expedite the PHP 152 million diversion channel project along Burgos Street.

Scheduled for completion by year-end, the channel is designed to redirect water from Mambuloc Creek and nearby drainage systems to reduce flooding in central Bacolod, particularly near SM City and downtown.

The MassKara Festival, which draws thousands of visitors each October, can add traffic and staging along Lacson Street that complicate flood response and clearing.

The mayor added that future infrastructure such as pumping stations will be handled by the national government, and the diversion project initiated in 2023 is part of a larger flood mitigation plan that includes multiple new channels across the city.