P77.2M dike in Nasugbu collapses two years after completion

Residents near the Palico River in Nasugbu, Batangas are concerned over possible flooding in the areas after a dike worth over P77.2 million collapsed.

According to Ian Cruz’s report on “24 Oras,” the riverbank protection is a project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which was completed on Nov. 18, 2022, based on the Sumbong sa Pangulo website.

A concrete house was damaged as the dike collapsed after Tropical Storm Kristine hit the area in 2024, two years after the project was completed.

Residents feared the water would overflow in the Palico River, which is located near the towns of Nasugbu, Lian, and Tuy.

“Nangangamba kami dyan dahil gawa nga ng pag lumaki ulit, makakalkal na naman ang lupa, aabot baka umabot hanggang sa may amin,” resident Danny delos Reyes said.

(We are worried that if the water rises, there will be soil erosion and the flood might reach us.)

DPWH district engineer Abelardo Calalo headed the engineering office that implemented the project.

He was arrested for allegedly bribing Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste.

GMA News Online has reached out to the DPWH 1st district engineering office in Batangas for comment but said they are not authorized to release a statement.

Some Nasugbu local government officials said the municipal engineering and disaster management office will assess the flood control projects along the Palico River.

GMA Integrated News went to Calalo at the Taal Police Station, but according to a source in the police, he has already been released after posting bail for the charges of Corruption of Public Officials and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

GMA Integrated News is reaching out to Leviste for comment. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BAP, GMA Inegrated News