By ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
KABANKALAN City’s Mayor Benjie Miranda rendered a pealing moment, wowing his audiences during his 100-Day Report on Nov. 15. It was his dauntless vow to solve the perennial flooding in their city that spellbound everyone’s attention at the K-Center.
He delivered such a promise with conviction, thus “relatable and providential”. More so when he flashed on a giant screen an aerial file photo of the “killer floods” triggered by Super Typhoon “Odette” that whacked Kabankalan on Dec. 16, 2021. It elicited thunderous applause.
Traces and scars of the neck-deep floods that “swallowed” the urban center of the city are haunting still. Such an undreamed-of scenario made Kabankalan, the biggest component city in Negros Occidental and dubbed with the “tiger economy”, certainly beyond infamous.
Scores were killed and lots of families were left homeless. Damage to infrastructure and agriculture was pegged at P2.6 billion.
A couple of months after “Odette”, Kabankalan was still in a morose situation– no potable water and electricity, plus so many toppled and roofless houses.
The entire urban site of Kabankalan is really a flood-prone area. Such is being compromised when there’s sudden occurrence of heavy rains or tropical storms. One of the biggest rivers in Negros Island, the Ilog-Hilabangan River (IHR), is streaming within the urban area of the city. It’s just like a sinuous backyard for people living in the poblacion barangays of 6, 7, 8, 9, and Talubangi.
IHR, per comprehensive environmental study, is a catch basin of water from the mountain ranges of Candoni town, connecting Tabla River in Barangay Magballo, Kabankalan, and also the waters from other portions of Negros Oriental, merging through Hilabangan River in the upland village of Orong, still in Kabankalan.
NEED MORE ‘BRAINS’
Though Mayor Benjie has already an initial plan, concept and design of his proposed P30-million flood control system or drainage master plan, he publicly confessed that he needs more “brains” on this matter. “We need to explore more ideas.”
That’s why the 1st Kabankalan Flood Control Summit will commence soonest. Such a gab, Mayor Benjie hopes, will gather competent engineers, flood control experts and drainage planners across the country.
“We need to see to it that all runs of waters in the city won’t backflow on the streets,” he stressed.
However, chorused by some experts: “Kabankalan doesn’t necessarily need a comprehensive drainage system because IHR is just within its backyard.” Water exits so easy. What the city needs is a formidable protection against water overflow from IHR.
I learned that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)- 3rd District Engineering Office (DEO) in NegOcc tried addressing the issue even before “Odette” struck.
Per published Project Bulletin in June 2021, the agency already spent a total of P165.71 million for two anti-flood control structures at IHR purposely to wit:
* Ensure IHR banks won’t be eroded and water overflow will be prevented
* Make flood walls at IHR to be sustainable and disaster-resilient structures against floods and other calamities
And these projects were completed barely months before “Odette” “slaughtered”
‘DEEPER THAN DEEP’
That’s why there’s “deeper than deep” on the matter. Despite these multi-million peso anti-flooding structures, still, “killer floods” caused havoc in Kabankalan.
Here are the facts and figures (FaF):
FaF No. 1: (P65.71-M)
* For 336.7-lineal meter flood walls along the downstream of IHR which included the revetment with combination of rubble concrete and reinforced concrete revetment wall on steel sheet piles foundation
FaF No. 2 (P100-M)
* For 498.50-lineal meter back-up revetment wall that stretches up to the river banks of IHR from Barangay 6 towards Barangay Talubangi.
Questions:
* What happened to these projects during and after typhoon Odette?
* Why they didn’t help avert the “killer floods”?
* Are they unmatched with the fury of Odette?
* Status-wise, are they still existing…worthy or unworthy now?
Perhaps, it’s time for DPWH to talk to Mayor Benjie and apprise him and the Kabankalanons of the real score.
Casting anew an “irrevocable promise” against flooding could be tedious.
But with the DPWH guiding the mayor sooner, I believe he’ll never go wrong in his “wondrous dream” for Kabankalanons’ sake./PN
