Let's build more retention ponds

One of the simplest, cheapest, and most practical solutions to flooding is something we often overlook: retention ponds. These man-made basins hold water permanently and manage stormwater before it wreaks havoc in our communities. And unlike mega-

infrastructure projects that take years and billions of pesos, retention ponds are so easy to build that even our barangays can do them.

In other words: Why aren’t we building more of them?

A retention pond slows down stormwater, traps sediments, improves water quality, and prevents erosion downstream. It functions like a community-level buffer against the increasing intensity of rainfall we experience due to climate change. Unlike detention ponds—which dry out between storms—retention ponds always contain water. They look like real ponds, with vegetation around them, attracting fish, birds, and other wildlife.

But what makes retention ponds truly compelling is how multi-purpose they can be.

With proper filtration, they can become a source of potable water. Communities can raise milkfish or catfish, grow kangkong, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, and even raise ducks. Schools can integrate retention ponds into their campus grounds to teach aquaponics, climate adaptation, and urban ecology. It’s flood control, food production, livelihood, and environmental protection—all in one facility.

If LGUs are looking for a low-cost climate resilience program, this is it.

To their credit, Quezon City has started building retention ponds. But the most aggressive LGU so far seems to be Cebu City, which has gone all in on this strategy.

Cebu City’s Water Catchment Ordinance (City Ordinance 2103) requires subdivisions to build retention ponds proportional to their land area. Inspectors have already checked the retention pond in Monterrazas de Cebu after severe flooding brought by Typhoon Tino. They also inspected the lagoon in Maria Luisa Subdivision, which turned out to be undersized. As a result, the city recommended the construction of two more retention ponds.

In Nasipit, Barangay Talamban, the LGU is building a retention pond to protect low-lying areas like Banilad from repeated flooding. This is what proactive governance looks like.

But the question is: If Cebu City can do it, why not everyone else?

We are an archipelago battered by typhoons year after year, yet our flood mitigation strategies remain heavily dependent on canals, dikes, and pumping stations. Retention ponds represent the kind of barangay-led, community-empowering approach we need to scale nationwide.

Shouldn’t the DILG take the lead in institutionalizing retention ponds across LGUs? And shouldn’t BFAR step in to help with aquaculture components, ensuring water quality and fish safety? With proper monitoring, retention ponds can support controlled aquaponics, provided pollutants are tested and managed.

Of course, not all ponds are safe for eating fish. Stormwater runoff may carry contaminants, so LGUs must test the water regularly. But even if the fish are not for consumption, they control mosquito larvae, support local biodiversity, and keep the ecosystem healthy. Meanwhile, vegetables grown via floating rafts or bog gardening can help absorb excess nutrients and reduce algae blooms.

So, here’s a proposal:

Let’s adopt a modular retention pond framework for every LGU—micro-ponds in parks, barangay-scale ponds near schools, and large LGU ponds for inter-barangay flood buffering. It’s doable, it’s affordable, and it’s urgently needed.

Flooding has become our new normal. Retention ponds should become our new response.

Let’s build more retention ponds—before the next storm reminds us why we should have.