“It is our last line of defense against floods and disaster, so it needs immediate repair!”
Governor Lilia G. Pineda declared this of the Arayat-Apalit setback levee during a recent meeting of the national government agencies concerned with the rehabilitation efforts after typhoon Pedring and Quiel brought considerable damage to Pampanga.
“Dapat sabay ang dredging ng downstream portion sa repair ng setback levee sa upstream,” added the governor in reaction to the report of Engr. Lita Manalo of the Mt. Pinatubo Emergency Project Management Office (MPEPMO) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Manalo reported that Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson has issued special order 178 dated October 17, 2011, creating a task force to recover the waterways of Pampanga Delta Development Project, Flood Control Component, Phase 1 to “prevent imminent danger to lives and properties due to floods as experienced from Typhoons Falcon, Pedring, and Quiel”.
This, according to the order, was caused by the overflow of water due to insufficient capacity of waterways brought by encroachment and siltation.
The task force is composed of Undersecretary Rafael C. Yabut, chairperson; Assistant Secretaries Emil K. Sadain and Alfredo G. Tolentino, co-chairpersons; Regional Director Antonio V. Molano, Patrick B. Gatan, Rogelio Ong, Jr., Atty. Camilo Foronda, and concerned district engineers of Pampanga and Bulacan, as members.
The governor observed that the task force was composed mainly of very capable Kapampangan engineers so that “inaasahan kong matagumpay nilang maisasagawa ang nararapat upang iligtas ang Pampanga sa posibleng pagbaha sa mga susunod na bagyo”.
The task force is tasked to formulate and implement a one-year comprehensive plan for the recovery of waterways, conduct the removal of fishponds and other structures within the waterways in coordination with the local government units and the Philippine National Police (PNP), and undertake the dredging of said waterways in accordance with the design capacity of the project.
Mayor Venancio Macapagal of San Luis, one of the towns hardest hit by the recent floods, said that mayors are willing to act when called upon by the DPWH and asked that they be always informed of developments and involved in any planning and actions to be taken by concerned agencies.
A representative of Mayor Jerry Pelayo of Candaba, another severely affected town, concurred with this statement adding that “we need a short-term solution now to save lives and property but we should also come up with a long-term solution para hindi maapektuhan ang ekonomiya ng ating lalawigan”.
He also stressed the importance of, first, clearing the setback levee of informal settlers to prepare it for the clearing and repair operations.
The governor said that with enough political will on the part of local officials and with the support and cooperation of national government agencies and the private sector, “magagawa ang dapat gawin, kahit mahirap, para sa kaligtasan at ikagagaling ng ating lalawigan”. (Pampanga PIO)
