AVERTING FLOODING. Culverts are lined up along the St. John Paul II Avenue in Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City where the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-7) Flood Control Management Cluster implements a drainage enhancement project through a diversion channel right beneath the road pavement. (Photo by John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU CITY — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 (Central Visayas) is ready to implement PHP23.5 billion worth of infrastructure projects that will combat flooding in Metro Cebu in the next three years.
DPWH-7 Flood Control Management Cluster project manager Luis Paredes said proposed infrastructures are being recommended in the Metro Cebu Integrated Flood and Drainage System Master Plan that will be implemented from year 2020 to 2022.
In his letter to presidential assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino, a copy of which was obtained by the Philippine News Agency (PNA), Paredes said the projects are part of the “compressed version of the prioritization schedule” of all anti-flooding and drainage projects.
Earl Escanuela, in an interview with PNA on Thursday, said the PHP23.5-billion cost of the drainage projects is part of the PHP44-billion total cost of integrated flood control and drainage system master plan initiated by the Metro Cebu Development and Coordination Board (MCDCB).
In 2020, the regional office of DPWH in Central Visayas will roll out anti-flooding and drainage projects with a total amount of PHP4.6 billion. Another PHP11.9-billion worth of projects will be implemented in 2021 and PHP7.07 billion in 2022, the DPWH-7’s summary of cost of the projects showed.
“The projects that are implementable for the next three years consist of river improvements and diversion channels,” Escanuela said.
According to him, river improvement projects are among DPWH-7’s priority projects.
“Dapat ma-improve an rivers, dapat maiwasan ang over-banking na atong ma-experience kun mo-overflow na ang river (It’s necessary to improve our rivers. We should avoid over-banking that we experience when rivers overflow),” he said.
Diversion channels, Escanuela said, will reduce discharge from rivers in highly urbanized areas which could no longer be widened due to right of way issues.
He said the master plan covers 13 local government units in Metro Cebu and divided in three clusters -- north, central, and south.
“DPWH-7 was able to engage with the LGUs through the help of the MCDCB. We presented to them the list of proposed projects under the master plan,” he said. (PNA)
