Transparency in the river rehabilitation plan
CENTRAL Pangasinan, including low-lying areas like Calasiao and Dagupan City, recently endured a debilitating flood that persisted for at least 10 days, resulting in millions of pesos in property damage and livelihood losses.
Local authorities have identified the severe siltation and degradation of the province’s river systems as the primary cause of this recurrent disaster. With reduced capacities, these rivers are no longer able to adequately contain the increasing volume of water originating from upstream.
Governor Ramon Guico III and Vice Governor Mark Ronald Lambino have unequivocally stated that the long-term solution to the pervasive flooding lies in large-scale dredging and comprehensive rehabilitation of all heavily silted rivers.
They highlighted three major river systems that drain into Pangasinan from the Cordillera mountains, all of which are now significantly silted. These are:
- Agno River – The largest of the three and hosts three hydroelectric dams: Ambuklao in Bokod, Benguet; Binga in Itogon, Benguet; and San Roque in San Manuel, Pangasinan.
- Sinocalan-Pantal River: This river originates from Mt. Ampocao in Tuba, Benguet.
- Bued-Cayanga River: Emanating from the Baguio watershed, this body of water flows down Kennon Road to Sison, then branches towards Rabon, San Fabian, and another route through Pozorrubio, Manaoag, San Jacinto, and Mangaldan, eventually emptying into the Lingayen Gulf.
Lambino noted that the provincial board passed a resolution in 2024 advocating for an all-out dredging effort, emphasizing that this initiative goes beyond mere quarrying and encompasses the holistic rehabilitation necessary for the rivers to regain their ecological vitality.
The provincial government said a proponent has been identified to undertake the dredging without cost to the province, subject to stringent regulations from both the provincial government and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
However, the scale of the undertaking is immense, potentially extending beyond Guico’s current term. Concerns have also been raised regarding the utmost need for transparency in this transaction amid reports suggesting the proponent’s primary interest may lie in quarrying for materials to be brought elsewhere – instead of being used in the province – and potentially even mining precious metallic minerals deposited in the riverbeds, such as gold.
The river dredging plan is, indeed, very well-meaning, but questions over alleged shadowy intents must first be cleared up.
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