CITY OF SAN FERNANDO --- Governor Dennis Pineda yesterday met with officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Luzon (DPWH 3) to address flooding issues in urban areas and the province's capital.
The move is also aimed to address the call raised by the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry PamCham for possible solutions to perennial flooding in Pampanga.
Pineda said the business sector has been appealing for solutions to the flooding problem as "it affects commercial activities as well as the safety and lives of ordinary people."
The governor's meeting with the DPWH "focused on immediate and long-term solutions to floods mainly affecting the Dolores section of the Jose Abad Santos Avenue (formerly the Gapan-San Fernando-Olongapo Road) and Lazatin Boulevard."
"The governor and the DPWH agreed to assess the conditions of waterways directly draining out the floodwaters from the City of San Fernando and clean existing drainage canals," Melquiades Sto. Domingo, DPWH 3 assistant regional director, said.
The identified long-term solutions included the
upgrading of structures to contain bigger volumes of water and construction of drainages that serve as catchments.
Pineda also proposed the construction of a pumping station that will drain to Gugu, a creek that has turned into a river after a series of Mt. Pinatubo lahar flows in Bacolor.
"Nagpa-design po ako sa DPWH at nagpabigay po ako ng estimate kung magkano, at pagtutulungan po namin ang funding para mag-operate po kaagad ang pumping station na ‘yan," the governor said.
"We really need a huge amount para ma pondohan ang ating pumping station, na siyang magiging isa sa primary solutions para ma-drain natin ang mga tubig,” DPWH 3 regional director Roseller Tolentino said.