Cagayan de Oro City is facing a climate reality we can no longer ignore. Every time heavy tropical downpours hit, low-lying and densely populated neighborhoods are plunged into dangerous, recurring flash floods that threaten the very safety of our communities. Our streets turn into raging rivers simply because our existing drainage systems are outdated, poorly maintained, and choked with silt and waste.

This is an urgent crisis that demands our immediate attention. These floods aren't just minor inconveniences—they paralyze local commerce, destroy homes, expose families to waterborne diseases, and disrupt our education. For too long, the government’s response has been purely reactive: waiting for disaster to strike, scrambling for rescue operations, and offering temporary relief after the damage is already done. We refuse to normalize living in fear every time it rains. We need systemic, proactive change now to protect our people, our homes, and our future.

To tackle this crisis head-on, we are demanding that the City Mayor's Office, the CDRRMD, and the DPWH take concrete, realistic action by implementing the following steps:

• Publish a transparent, publicly accessible inventory and assessment of high-risk flood zones and chronically clogged drainage bottlenecks across the city to prioritize immediate clearing operations.
• Establish and strictly execute a regular, public schedule for silt removal and canal de-clogging months before the peak of the rainy season, rather than relying on emergency post-flood cleanups.
• Mandate and support local barangay councils in setting up localized waste-monitoring systems to prevent garbage dumping into open canals and to maintain local drainage pathways.