CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials in Region III assured that no demolition of fishponds would take place until 2018 along the high water channel of Pampanga River located in Macabebe town.
However, Engineer Lita Manalo, DPWH project manager pointed out that Pulo, an islet within Pampanga River is set for scraping. Currently, the islet blocks the flow of water going to the downstream of the Pampanga River.
It can be noted that fishpond operators here are one of the major producers of prawns and crab in Central Luzon earning P40 million every four months.
Manalo informed that some fishponds in Masantol town near the islet will be demolished to ease the water flow and avoid flood overflow in times of rainy season.
This came Governor Lilia “Nanay” Pineda welcomed some fishpond operators from Masantol and Macabebe towns in the provincial Capitol.
They asked the governor to help them with the impending complexities the Pampanga Delta Development Project II (PDDP-II) will bring this rainy season.
The operators presented to Governor Pineda a map which shows that several villages in Masantol will be submerged in flood waters come rainy season if not addressed immediately.
The operators also complained that their fish pens are subject to demolition as DPWH see these as one of the reason of flooding.
They also presented some photos showing eroded parts of the river bank since the start of PDDP-II.
Some of the villages that are in danger of flooding if the PDDP-II problem is not addressed are Alauli, Balibago, Bagang, Sagrada, Nigui, Sapang Kawayan which are situated in the left bank of the Pampanga River and Consuelo, Malauli, Bulacus, San Pedro, Caingin, Puti, Sta. Monica, San Agustin in the right.
The governor vowed to support for the said fish pond operators and a dredger worth P200-M to help lessen the flooding in the area and expanding the water channel going to San Esteban River.
PHILIP OCAMPO
