DPWH: Mega river, coastal dikes to help save flood-burdened Bulacan towns

Flood-prone towns in Bulacan continue to bear the consequences of anomalous multibillion-peso flood control projects.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon and Cabinet Secretary Benhur Abalos on Saturday visited some of the substandard flood control projects—some even non-existent—in Hagonoy and Paombong.

Dizon said massive flooding in Hagonoy, Paombong, other low-lying areas in Bulacan, and even in Pampanga, are partly because of geography—the bodies of water that surround it, which includes the Pampanga River and Manila Bay.

“Bugbog sarado kami. Kaawa-awa ang Hagonoy, (We’re beaten down. Hagonoy is pitiful),” Tindig Hagonoy chairman Renato dela Cruz said.

Hagonoy resident and Tindig Hagonoy member Angel Cruz even lost his leg two years ago due to the bacteria from the dirty floodwater.

“Dalawang araw ‘tong nababad sa tubig-baha na marumi, hindi ko alam may maliit akong sugat sa paa…Kung ‘di ko siya ipapaputol, mamamatay ako so I have no choice,” he said.

(My foot was submerged in dirty floodwater. I didn’t know I had a small wound on my foot…If I didn’t have it cut off, I would have died, so I had no choice.)

Dizon said the U-shaped town of Hagonoy is supposed to be surrounded by a megadike. Instead, fragmented dikes are in place. Some of them are now broken, he noted.

Image: DPWH

“May limang pumping station at floodgate na ginawa rito. Ginawa—quote and quote. Ginawa kasi wala naman talagang ginawa,” Dizon said.

(There are five pumping stations and floodgates that were built here. Built—quote and quote—because nothing was actually built.)

Dizon said experts and DPWH planning engineers will study the area next week to plan out how to secure Hagonoy with a functioning dike.

River dike in a coastal area?

In the town of Paombong, dikes built in the coastal barangays of Sta. Cruz and Masukol have been torn down by massive waves not even five years since it was constructed.

“Ang problema rin—mali ang disenyo nito…Kasi ‘yung design na ganito, pang-river dike. Hindi naman ‘to river. Dagat ‘to eh…Starting next week, aayusin na po ito,” Dizon said after inspecting the Masukol dike.

(The problem is—the design is wrong…This design is meant for a river dike. This is not a river. This is the sea…We’ll start fixing this by next week.)

Dizon said the contractors of the poorly-designed dikes will shoulder the cost of fixing them, because it’s still covered by the warranty.

But, he said, DPWH will have to fund additional materials called concrete hexapods, which are targeted to break or weaken the waves.

“We will have to fund that separately ‘yung hexapads kasi wala naman sa original na kontrata ‘yun…pero kailangan talaga,” Dizon explained.

(We will have to fund the hexapods separately, because it’s not in our original contract…but it’s needed.)

Long-term fix

Dizon also laid out the long-term flood management plan in Hagonoy, Paombong, and other flood-burdened areas in Bulacan and Pampanga.

1. Pampanga River Basin Master Plan
2. A proposed Manila Bay Coastal Defense Dike Project

Dizon said a megadike will be built to shield Bulacan from waters coming from the Pampanga river.

Image: DPWH

Meanwhile, the proposed Manila Bay Coastal Defense Dike Project will run across Metro Manila, Bulacan and Pampanga, and reach as far as Bataan.

“Iyan talaga ang magiging proteksyon nating lahat sa pagpasok ng tubig dagat mula sa Manila Bay… Malakihang project ito. Hindi ito biro pero wala tayong ibang solusyon kung ‘di ito,” Dizon said.

(This will protect us all from water from Manila Bay…This is a major project. It’s no joke but there’s no other solution but this.)

Image: DPWH

Dizon said the Asian Development Bank has committed to helping fund the Manila Bay project.

He, however, admitted that these are not overnight solutions.

There’s no timeline to when residents can be certain that flooding will no longer be a problem in Bulacan and Pampanga, Dizon added.

“Kapag na-prioritize na ang areas, doon natin sisimulan at papaspasan [flood control projects] para, kahit paano, sa susunod na tag-ulan, may makikita tayong naisasalba paunti-unti,” he said.

(Once we’ve identified priority areas, we’ll begin and fast-track the flood control projects there, so we can start feeling its effect by the next rainy season.)

Dizon said fixing, rebuilding and constructing flood control projects cannot be finished under the Marcos administration, especially since the department’s hands were tied by a zeroed flood control budget this year.

But he said the government will pass on a flood control plan with a “multi-year appropriation” to the next administration. — BM, GMA News