Governor Lilia Pineda and Second District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo met with officials of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and other agencies and briefed on the status of flood control projects in Pampanga.
After the meeting on Wednesday, August 13, more than ₱193 million has been set aside for the immediate repair of damaged flood control structures and roads.
The funding will also cover projects also expected to address the perennial flooding in the province
NIA officials said they already installed over 220 of the targeted 350 sheet piles for the second layer of the retaining wall at the Sta. Cruz Road Dike near Sto. Cristo Dam in Lubao.
At the damaged slope protection in Barangay Pulung Masle, Guagua, initial sandbagging has been completed to prevent lateral erosion.
In Barangay Candating, Arayat, the Capitol said the contractor will undertake full reconstruction and dredging of the damaged slope protection.
The DPWH said it will allocate ₱38.5 million from its quick response funds for a 300-meter damaged section of road in Apalit, and ₱40 million for repairs to roads leading to Macabebe.
The national government is also preparing funds for the rehabilitation of McArthur Highway in the towns of Sto. Tomas, Minalin, San Simon, and Apalit.
Other pending works include repairs on the slope protection of the tail dike in Minalin and at the dike in Barangay Mesalipit, Bacolor town.
The Capitol also disclosed that Phase 2 of the Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Project will create new floodways in low-lying areas along Pampanga Bay, targeting flood prevention in the province’s fourth district.
Meanwhile, a ₱115-billion Central Luzon–Pampanga River Floodway Project is under feasibility study and detailed engineering design with Japanese consultants.
The Capitol described the project as one of the Marcos administration’s flagship infrastructure programs, envisioned to permanently resolve the province’s long-standing flood problem.
