250,000 CUBIC METERS SILT TO BE REMOVED 

DREDGING of the shallow rivers in Dagupan City will take more than one year in accordance with the agreement forged by the city government and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

City Engineer Virginia Rosario said with a few more minor kinks being ironed out, dredging will begin in a few days using three dredging machines loaned to the city by DPWH.

Rosario, in a press conference last May 5, said more than 250,000 cubic meters of silt are set to be recovered from the rivers which will be deepened by three to six meters.

For her part, Mayor Belen Fernandez reiterated that based on the agreement, the dredging operations will not cost the city much as it will only finance the fuel for one month of operations and the rest will be handled by the DPWH.

The city government was also responsible for the expenses incurred in the hauling of the new dredging machine Water Master III from Manila to Dagupan City.

Of the three dredging machines deployed to the city, the most modern is the Water Master III, which is an amphibious excavator dredger, one of five machines acquired by DPWH this year at P37.5 million each.

The dredging machine bought by the city of Dagupan in 2006 funded through a loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines cost more at P49 million.

The two other dredging machines were already in the city early last year at the request of then Vice Mayor Fernandez, but could not be immediately put to work as they needed repair and the required spare parts were not immediately available.

Rosario said the silt that will be recovered will be deposited in adjacent private lots from where barangay chairmen can source their filling materials for areas in their villages that are prone to flooding.

The dredging is expected to ease the constant flooding in the city with the faster flow of run- off water from the upland towards the Lingayen Gulf, Rosario said.

She added that per the program of work of the three dredging machines, first to be dredged is the shallow Calmay River where two masses of land, one of which is now as big as one hectare, have formed in the middle portion of the water.

The dredging machines will then be shifted to the mouth of the river separating Bonuan Gueset and Pugaro, which had become too narrow because of silt.

Pantal River, which is connected to the Sinocalan River in Calasiao and Sta. Barbara towns, will follow.

“We are lucky that Dagupan is the first local government to put to use the brand new amphibious excavator dredger of DPWH,” Fernandez told newsmen.

The mayor thanked Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas and 4th District Congressman Gina de Venecia for helping facilitate the deployment of the dredging machines of DPWH to the city.

De Venecia, she said, is also working for the construction of a Gabion type of river revetment along the Pantal River in Barangay Lasip Grande, Lasip Chico, Pogo Grande and Malued, similar to the one being built in Barangay Pantal.

Further, Rosario said the DPWH will also help the city dredge 18 separate creeks in the interior parts of the city that are now also very shallow.–LVM

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