By Perla Lena/PNA
ILOILO CITY — A PHP7 million worth of sub-project funded under the government’s “Kapitbisig Laban sa Kahirapan: Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi: CIDSS)” implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) saved residents of Antique’s Malacañang village from flooding every time heavy rains occur.
Malacañang is a coastal barangay of the town of Culasi in Antique. In two tranches, residents were able to come up with a Gabion-type flood control project that ably secures them from the damaging flood. Culasi’s flood control retaining wall is made of big rocks stocked together in mesh wire frames.
Village chief Romeo B. Olave said the flooding that occurs even without typhoons has a damaging impact on the livelihood and even lives of residents.
“Every time it rains, the water overflows from Bacong River and meets with the water coming from the sea,” he said in an interview on Friday. Bacong River is the biggest river in Culasi. It serves as catch basin of water coming from Mt. Madia-as, a rainforest, he explained.
The constant flooding leads to landslide that in turn damages the produce of farmers, worst leads to the death of children. “Eighty percent of the barangay are submerged in water,” he said, adding that 70 percent of their 364 households are always affected.
The completion of the Gabion-type flood control project allows residents to go back to their usual farming activities. The barangay households also increased to 468. “They started to plant rootcrops because they are no longer afraid that it will be washed out by the flood,” he said.
The first phase of the project, with a length of 102 lineal meters, was implemented through the Kalahi Millennium Challenge Corporation and was completed in January 2015.
The second phase was completed on Aug. 16, 2017 under the Kalahi National Community-Driven Development Project cycle 2 with a length of 300 lineal meters.
The first phase amounted to PHP2 million while the second one was PHP5 million.
Meantime, to sustain the project, the barangay has approved guidelines mandating quarry operators to plant trees beside the Gabion wall. The barangay captain said based on the guidelines, application for permit to quarry will only be approved by the provincial government after the applicant has planted the required number of trees.
“There is a ratio as to the number of trees each quarry operator must plant, depending on the volume of quarry. Without my approval they could not quarry in our barangay,” he said.
Olave is one of the six nominees for the “Bayani Ka! Awards” under the environment protection category. It is an annual recognition given by the DSWD Kalahi: CIDSS to exemplary communities and partners in implementing and promoting the community-driven development approach.
