Sunday, June 29, 2008 Gugu desilting resumes By Ian Ocampo Flora
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Provincial Government has resumed desilting of Gugu Creek in Bacolor town to prevent flooding at the tributary barangays in the event of continuous rainfall.
The Capitol enjoined on Friday officials of Barangays Cabalantian, Mesalipit, Talba, and Tinajero to support the mobilization of resources toward Gugu's desilting.
Cabalantian village chief Jomar Hizon offered the services of his two dump trucks and three backhoes while the Capitol will continue to provide the fuel and lubricants needed by the heavy machineries.
Officials of Mesalipit, Talba, and Tinajero, on the other hand, will make sure that the food and other needs of the heavy equipment operators are adequately supplied.
It may be recalled that on March 7 this year, Pampanga Governor Eddie Panlilio, as chairman of Task Force Gugu, ordered the desilting of Gugu Creek.
The desilting operations commenced through pooling of resources from regional agencies, local governments, civil societies and other stakeholders.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) provided equipment and the technical description of the area during the initial stage of the desilting works.
Hizon also volunteered backhoes. The Capitol committed an initial funding of P700,000 for the machines' fuel needs, while civil society groups monitored the progress of the desilting operation.
The establishment of a kilometer-long dike on the eastern bank and an 800-meter long similar structure on the west side represented the first phase of the desilting works.
At present, the dikes are about two meters in height, but will have to be raised to four meters with a top surface width of eight to 10 meters.
The dikes serve as alternative farm to market roads for the people of Sto. Tomas and Minalin to gain access to commerce in Bacolor.
In a statement, the Capitol said the desilting along the creek was halted last April after Bacolor Mayor Romeo Dungca refused to cooperate in the undertaking by not allowing quarry permitees to enter their designated areas along Gugu.
It said negotiations with the mayor failed, until Panlilio ordered the withdrawal of the capitol's support and the stoppage of desilting operation.
"To date, even without Mayor Dungca's commitment to support the above-mentioned undertaking, the barangay captains of Cabalantian, Mesalipit, Talba, and Tinajero in Bacolor have directed their concern to the capitol. Seeing the urgency of their need, the governor has called on the immediate resumption of Gugu's desilting," the Provincial Government said.
