By Lizbeth Ann Abella/PNA
DULAG, Leyte — A total of PHP48.5 million has been provided by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Leyte 2nd district engineering office for the construction of seawall along the coastal villages in Dulag, Leyte.
The project will protect and reduce coastal hazards to the residents of San Jose and San Rafael villages, which are highly vulnerable to storm surges and tsunami. Houses were badly damaged when super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) struck the region in 2013.
District Engineer Gerald Pacanan said the embankment project, which was completed this week and funded in 2018, involves stone masonry with a total length of 482.5 meters and height of 2.5 meters.
“The seawall will serve as protection from sea level rise during typhoons and earthquake and alleviate the problems of erosion along these coastlines. The structure redirects the waves back to the sea,” Pacanan said on Friday.
The beaches in Dulag town facing Leyte Gulf’s open sea has changed over time due to continuous erosion as a result of big waves.
For 2018, the district has carried out a total of eight flood mitigation projects amounting to PHP271.68 million, of which four were completed and the rest still ongoing.