MINALIN, Pampanga — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will soon start the construction of a PHP6.5-billion flood mitigation project that is seen to alleviate, if not totally solve, the perennial flooding in the low-lying towns of Masantol, Macabebe, Minalin and Sto. Tomas in this province.
Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, together with House of Representatives Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Han Dong Man, Governor Lilia Pineda and other DPWH and local officials led here on Tuesday the groundbreaking of the project dubbed as the “Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (IDRR-CCA) Measures in Low-Lying Areas of Pampanga Bay”.
Villar, in his speech, said the flood control projects carry out the DPWH’s ambition to build disaster-resilient structures in calamity-prone areas.
“Time and again, the men and women of DPWH endeavor to find ways to intensify our mitigation projects against flooding and inundation by implementing a master plan to circumvent massive destruction. Protecting lives and properties remains one of our top priorities,” he said.
Arroyo, in her message, noted that the request for the project’s fund was made during her presidency, approved under the Aquino administration, and is now being realized under the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte with his “Build, Build, Build” program.
“The project that we are launching today is perfect proof that if we are all united across administrations and within administrations, we can do so much for the good of the people of Pampanga and the Philippines,” she said.
The Korean envoy, on the other hand, pledged more funding assistance to infrastructure projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program.
The IDRR-CCA, which aims to improve drainage efficiency of river channel networks in Pampanga, received funds for detailed design and civil works from the USD80.483-million loan agreement with the Korean government through the Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund.
In the report of the DPWH’s Unified Project Management Office, excavation and dredging will also be done at the mouth of the Pampanga River, specifically at the 20.20-km. stretch of the Third River and the 10.71-km. Eastern Branch Channel, while flow and efficiency of the 11.40-km. Caduang Tete River and the 11.30-km. Sapang Maragul River will be improved.
The river improvement activities will cover an excavation volume of 245,669.50 cubic meters; embankment of 1,711,897.69 cubic meters; and dredging of 3,712,379.65 cubic meters.
Three new bridges and five footbridges will also be constructed as part of the project that was awarded to Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Company Ltd. and scheduled for full completion by March 2022.
As an additional flood control measure, eight sluice gates will be built, including the Sapang Maragul Floodgate and 164 fish pond gates.
“This project is one big leap that we hope to materialize as planned,” DPWH Regional Director Roseller Tolentino said. (Froilan Magtoto/PNA)
