By Dino Balabo
“Dislocation will be addressed, may mga resettlement
components na kasama yung flood control project sa Pampanga River Basin
He said that the first part of the flood control project is
to remove obstruction along water ways and river banks.
“May requirement sa batas na dapat may easement, this has
not been respected, we have to start imposing the restriction, dahil sila din
mapipinsala pag bumabaha,” Singson said.
Among those that are likely to be affected are residents of
Hagonoy, Paombong and Calumpit towns in Bulacan who are living along the
man-made Labangan Channel dug in the 70s.
Residents of the said towns, especially in Calumpit, are
worried on the impending resurrection of the phase II of the Pampanga Delta
Development Project (PDDP-II) which was stalled in the early 90s when it was
opposed by Bulakenyos.
The Phase I of the PDDP was completed in the late 80s after
the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) dredged fishponds on both
sides of the Pampanga River from Apalit town to the Manila Bay
However, Singson said that the flood control masterplan not
only include construction of dikes and embankment, but water resource
management as well.
As the appointed “water czar” by the President, Singson
explained that only 20 percent of total rainfall in the country annually is
being utilized.
“Nakakalungkot, 28 percent lang ang nagagamit ng ating ulan,
and the rest either cause problems like loss of lives and property, or
natatapon sa mga ilog at oceans at di na napapakinabangan,” he said.
The secretary stressed that despite getting abundant
rainfall all throughout the year, there are parts of the country that suffers
from shortage of water for irrigation due to lack of integrated water
management.
This means that the proposed filtration system along the Angat River
According to Antonio Nangel, administrator of the National
Irrigation Administration (NIA), the establishment of a series of filtration
system along the Angat
River
He said that water from the river can be pumped into
reservoirs that will be constructed, then, filtered before distributing it to
household through local water district’s pipelines.
Nangel added that that the proposed water filtration system
will also address perennial flooding in Bulacan.
Singson affirmed that Nangel’s proposal will be considered
in the proposed flood control masterplan which also include a flood warning and
forecasting system.
He said that the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)
along with allied agency, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical
Services Administration and the Department of Transportation and Communications
is rolling out a flood modeling, forecasting and warning system.
The system will be implemented in 18 river basins in the
country which straddles 33 provinces.
Singson said that through the system, they will be able to
warn residents living along the river banks six hours before the flood.
