THE Dagupan City government hopes to end tidal flooding in several low-lying areas in the city in the next five years through the construction of several floodgates along various rivers and creeks in the city.

Josephine Corpuz, officer-in-charge at the City Planning and Development Coordinating Office, said the floodgates will be closed during high tide and opened as soon as the tide normalizes.

Corpuz said the plan to construct the floodgates are incorporated in the city’s Comprehensive Development Plan for 2017 to 2022 submitted to the city council for approval.

She pointed out that water from adjacent rivers back-flow to some parts of the city during high tide that results in frequent tidal flood in the city today.

Topography-wise, Dagupan City is one meter below sea level.

Corpuz said Mayor Belen Fernandez had asked the CPDO to study and recommend solutions to ease the regular flooding situation in some areas in the city, particularly the downtown area.

Corpuz told Councilor Jestlito Seen who presided over the committee hearing at the city council on Tuesday, that the technique was adopted and found to have eased the tidal flood in Malabon City in Metro Manila.

“We found this technique to be also feasible in Dagupan City,” Corpuz said.

She said with floodgates, the continued dredging of the silted Calmay River and elevation of flood prone streets now going on in earnest in various parts of the city, will minimize tidal flooding in the city.

Corpuz added that the Department of Public Works and Highways is building spur dikes along the Pantal River to prevent excess water from spilling over to residential areas. (Leonardo Micua)

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