Cebu’s new People’s Park: A green shield against downtown floods
CEBU CITY — In a bold move that blends urban planning with environmental resilience, the Cebu Provincial Capitol is building a People’s Park designed to capture rainwater and ease the chronic flooding that plagues downtown Cebu. This is not just a park. It is a quiet revolution in how we think about flood control.
The 2,000-square-meter project broke ground in early July and is expected to be completed by the end of September after a 90-working-day construction period. Provincial officials say it combines flood mitigation, water conservation, and recreation in one sustainable package.
How does the park capture rainwater?
Elizar Sabinay Jr., head of the Provincial Planning and Development Office, explained that the Capitol’s elevated location makes it ideal for slowing rainwater before it rushes into low-lying areas like Colon Street. “The uptown area has higher terrain, so water always goes down to the downtown area. The best way is to capture the water by making public parks and green spaces,” he said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
The park uses permeable paving blocks that let rainwater seep into the ground instead of quickly flowing into drainage systems. It also replaces animal grass with carabao grass, which absorbs and retains more water, reducing surface runoff and replenishing groundwater.
A sunken section temporarily collects rainwater before directing it into an underground drainage and storage system. “The water will go to a drainage system connected to a pumping system and a cistern tank, which will supply water to our public comfort rooms in the park,” Sabinay added.
What makes this a sustainable public space?
Beyond flood control, the park is designed as an all-inclusive public space open 24/7 for recreation and community activities. It features a glass house for government and private meetings, a children’s play area, spaces for senior citizens, a jogging path, a coffee shop, and public comfort rooms. Solar energy will power lighting, electric fans, and comfort room ventilation to cut electricity costs.
The provincial government allotted around ₱10.3 million for the project.
Can a small park really help with flooding?
Sabinay acknowledged that the park alone will not eliminate flooding because of its limited size. But it can still help reduce runoff and serve as a model for similar projects. “If there are a lot of small parks surrounding Cebu City, it will somehow lessen flooding. Flooding is a natural phenomenon, but what we want to prevent is its negative impact that turns into a disaster,” he said.
He urged local government units to adopt similar green infrastructure projects as part of broader flood mitigation efforts. The People’s Park was among the immediate measures discussed during the first official meeting of the Metro Cebu Flood Control and Drainage System Implementation Task Force on August 5, 2026. That meeting also introduced a cluster-based approach encouraging LGUs across Metro Cebu to take a more active role in flood control.
Why this matters for every Filipino
This is not just a Cebu story. It is a lesson for every town and city in the archipelago. We do not need grand dams or billion-peso projects to fight floods. Sometimes, the answer is as simple as a park that drinks the rain. That is the kind of courage we need in public service: the courage to think small, local, and sustainable.
As a nation that faces typhoons year after year, we must embrace these green solutions. They are cheaper, smarter, and kinder to our land. And they remind us that progress does not have to come at the expense of nature. It can work with it.