Seawall saved Camarines Norte town from storm surge

While the houses on the coast of Mercedes, Camarines Norte were battered by the strong winds of Typhoon Glenda (Rammasun), the seawall lining the shore saved the residents from what could have been a deadly storm surge.

 

"Kung wala iyan, lahat kami rito, giba. Kahit papaano naman po yung mga buhay namin ay safe din," said a resident interviewed by GMA's Kara David in a 24 Oras report on Wednesday. 

 

The seawall was built in March by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the provincial government of Camarines Norte, the report said.

A seawall is a coastal defense structure built to protect shorelines from erosion or flooding due to waves or high tides. It is made of armor rocks and sheet piles, much like those in the Manila Bay area in Roxas Boulevard. 

 

Similar structures are now being built along the stretch of Obando, Meycauayan, Navotas, and other low lying areas of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela City in northern Metro Manila, DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson told GMA News Online on Thursday. 

 

"(Bahagi yan) ng masterplan for Metro Manila flood control," Singson said.
 

Also included in this masterplan is the Manila Bay Seawall Project where the existing seawall will be strengthened and floodgates will be constructed.

 

The height of the seawalls will "depend on the historical sea levels", Singson said, and will therefore not be consistent.  —Kim Luces/NB, GMA News