Mayor endorses P4.2B master drainage plan

ILOILO City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog is endorsing the P4.2-billion master drainage plan for the city funded by the National Government to start early next year.

Project construction will span for three years and its completion is expected before the term of President Benigno Aquino III expires in 2016.

A pre-feasibility study of the drainage project was presented to Mabilog on September 19 by representatives of AH Sison Engineering Consultants that detailed the project components and construction phases that will also include rehabilitation of the river and four creeks in Iloilo City.

Mabilog said the City Government has already budgeted P55 million for the drainage system this year and ongoing is the P5 million project in La Paz district.

AH Sison Engineering Consultants, the winning firm to conduct a pre-feasibility and eventual feasibility study (FS) of Iloilo City’s comprehensive master drainage system, will use a new technology adopted from Japan that proposes underground detention tanks to help solve the flooding in three priority areas in the city.

Mabilog said the drainage consultants hired by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will finish the FS by November this year and actual mobilization and construction will possibly start early next year.

He said the technology as presented by the consultants in a briefing on Wednesday focused on the proposed construction of the underground detention tanks that will utilize the sidewalks, even parking areas, gymnasiums and vacant lots for the construction of tanks that will store waters from flashfloods.

Earlier, Iloilo City Representative Jerry P. Treñas announced the complete drainage master plan for the city with a proposed funding from DPWH to be augmented by the city local fund to rehabilitate and reconstruct the age-old and obsolete drainage system here.

The consultants said the P4.2-billion master drainage project will be reduced later after further verification of existing drainage projects by the city and DPWH. These existing projects will be incorporated in the FS with a reduction from the total project cost of the master drainage system.

Mabilog said the rehabilitation of Mansaya and Dungon creeks included in the Iloilo flood control project was not implemented. However, the two creeks rehabilitation and that of Calajunan and Buntatala creeks are now incorporated in the feasibility study.

Priority areas for drainage rehabilitation are the districts of Molo, city proper and La Paz.

Last September 15, Iloilo City suffered from flashfloods with more than 125 millimeters deep of water. Hardly hit were the districts of Molo, city proper and La Paz.

Molo district experienced more than 204 millimeters deep of water, while the city proper had 694 millimeters, and La Paz district with 183 millimeters deep of water.

Other areas are Arevalo with 562 millimeters, Mandurriao with 756 millimeters, Jaro with 1,497 millimeters and La Paz with 336 millimeters.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, the rainfall amount varies from regular with 15 millimeters, to heavy with 20 millimeters, too much with 50 to 60 millimeters, and devastation with 125 millimeters.