BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – Fixing Iloilo City’s aging drainage system won’t be a walk in the park, said Cong. Jerry Treñas.
Early this month, he requested P547.75 million from the Department of Public Works and Highways for the construction of a drainage system for Iloilo City Proper, La Paz and Molo districts.
“Indi mahapos kay-uhon ang aton (It is not easy to fix our) drainage features due to climate change. Water overflows during high tide,” Treñas told Panay News.
The poor drainage system is being blamed for the frequent flooding in Iloilo City.
Treñas said several drainage components would be installed to ease the flooding.
Public Works secretary Rogelio Singson, Treñas said, vowed to look into the project.
The new comprehensive drainage plan for the city was prepared by E. Sison Consultancy.
Iloilo City district engineer Rodney Gustilo sees the proposed drainage improvement project as an answer to the frequent flooding.
The current drainage infrastructure are “dugay na” (old) and “gagmay” (small).
He told Panay News a drainage system can only accommodate runoff water at a projection time of 25 years.
“Ang aton drainage infra daw 1970s pa na. So it has already served its purpose,” Gustilo said.
The half-a-billion peso drainage system project, according to him, will include a detention tank that will resolve the problem of retardation in the drainage water flow to the sea during high tide.
“Ang mga location sini ara sa Muelle Loney kag Quirino Lopez Bridge para mahapos mag-ula sang tubig sa dagat. Daw catch basin ining detention tank. Dira masulod ang runoff water naton,” Gustilo explained.
Gustilo said Treñas urged him and Public Works regional director Edilberto Tayao to come up with a solution to the city’s flooding problem.
Two weeks ago, heavy rains resulted to flooding in parts of Iloilo City./PN
