Dizon to probe allegations Olongapo flooding due to solar plant

Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon said Monday he will look into allegations that the flooding in Olongapo City was due to a solar power plant.

“Hindi ko po alam ‘yung tungkol sa solar power plant na ‘yan,” Dizon said in an interview on Balitanghali when asked about residents claiming that the flooding was due to trees being cut down to give way to the power plant.

(I don’t know anything about that solar power plant.)

“Makikipagugnayan po tayo sa Department of Energy, sa DENR, tungkol dito sa tinayong planta na ito. At ano talagang nangyari dito bat nagkaganyan ganyan,” he added.

(We will coordinate with the Department of Energy and the DENR regarding this plant that was constructed, to determine what actually happened and why it ended up this way.)

In Bea Pinlac’s report on Unang Balita, a resident expressed disappointment with the power plant.

“Sabi nga nila nung ginawa ‘yung solar, tumindi po ‘yung baha dito sa amin ulit. Kahit po hinuhukay na ‘yung ilog, tumaas pa rin po ng napakataas ‘yung baha,” he said.

(They said that when the solar plant was built, the flooding here became worse again. Even though the river was being dredged, the floodwaters still rose to a very high level.)

According to the report, the phase 1 of the power plant project has been completed. However, phase 2 is still being planned.

Ronald Guevarra, a kagawad of barangay Sta. Rita, said he and the other residents do not want phase 2 to continue.

On August 17, part of a retaining wall collapsed near the boundary of Barangays New Cabalan and Old Cabalan. A house was also dragged down during the collapse, but no casualties were reported as nobody was inside at the time.

Flood control projects

Meanwhile, Dizon said the department will focus on flood control projects that collapsed following the heavy rains that persisted in the city.

He said the projects were still under warranty.

“Kailangan ayusin agad-agad ‘yan nung kontratistang gumawa ng walang cost sa gobyerno. So ‘yun muna ang uunahin natin,” he said

(The contractor who built it needs to fix it immediately at no cost to the government. So that will be our priority for now.) — RSJ, GMA News