ILOILO City – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 6 has proposed a P500-million allocation from its 2024 regional budget to jumpstart activities for Panay River Basin Integrated Development Project (PRBIDP) in Capiz province.
Assistant Regional Director Jose Al Fruto said once the initial budget is available, they can begin the activities particularly for the proposed 7.5-kilometer Cogon-Jamul-awon Floodway, one of the major components of the PRBIDP.
“We have to jumpstart activities already. I think we cannot wait for the later part of 2025 or 2026. We can start something especially improving sang mga outfalls sang Panay River system,” said Fruto in a sideline interview during the Regional Development Council (RDC) 6’s infrastructure development committee meeting yesterday.
In May last year, the RDC-6 passed Resolution No. 9 re-endorsing Resolution No. 1 passed in 2018 calling for the fast-tracking of the P19.78-billion PRBIDP.
The project aims to address the perennial flooding in Capiz through the construction of a dam or reservoir, a floodway, cut-off channels, and improvement of major and secondary drains, which will benefit about 11,460 hectares highly susceptible to flooding in the Panay basin.
Fruto said they are also eyeing dredging a portion of the Cogon-Jamul-awon River particularly its outfalls while waiting for possible initial funding.
For now, the regional office is waiting for the mobilization and operating funds to expedite the sendoff of the dredger from Iloilo City to Capiz.
The DPWH will be undertaking the flood control component of the project while the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) will be in-charge of the irrigation-water supply component.
The river basin system is covering the whole Capiz which is experiencing devastating floods almost every year.
“Ang aton da nga seafood basket sa Capiz particularly in the municipalities of Panay, Pontevedra and President Roxas amo gid na ang apektado. We would like to do something already,” Fruto noted.
Massive flooding hit Capiz in October 2022 during the onslaught of Typhoon “Paeng.”
“Paeng” left severe damaged in agriculture and infrastructure. It also displaced 107,285 families and left eight people dead./PN
