FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS

THUS was the appeal Mayor Belen Fernandez she left with members of the majority of the Sangguniang Panlungsod who man the committee on finance when the elevation of roads during their committee hearing on the 2024 annual budget of Dagupan last February 27 at the conference room of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

Unperturbed by the questions of Councilors Redford Erfe-Mejia, Alfie Fernandez and Alvin Coquia, why she did not implement the flood mitigation ordinance of the past city administration, Mayor Fernandez replied: “We want a solution (to our flooding) for 50 years. We do not want a solution for just one year”.

She cited the past city administration’s big flood gate on a creek on Rizal Street at the recommendation of the past Flood Mitigation Commission that was never operational even during the Lim administration.

She added that some scaling on streets were built just two or three years ago and the poor state of the Gabion-type revetment done in Pugaro.

Erfe-Mejia’s cited complaints of some residents and business leaders questioning the construction of the roads’ high elevation, Fernandez said once works on these projects are finished, the roads will be spared from flooding as water from the rains will flow to the widened drainage canal that will flow down to the Pantal River and to the Dawel River.

Fernandez refuted the claim that no public consultation was done saying that in addition to the earlier consultation by her office before the projects were started, she and City Engineer Josephine Corpuz continue to conduct house-to-house and even door-to-door consultation with stakeholders to address their concerns.

“Let us finish the work,” she intoned.

Presently, she said the city government is assisting several establishments, including small eateries whose frontage are covered by the elevated road.

When asked why not one from the city engineering office attended the series of committee hearing conducted by the majority in the SP last year, Fernandez said it was because all the ongoing projects then were those of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Meanwhile, Fernandez said her administration will not condone violations of property owners extending their properties beyond their boundaries and up to the river, citing the situation in Malued where many property owners illegally encroached the Pantal River, constricting its flow resulting in heavy flooding in the area. (Leonardo Micua)

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