DPWH resumes full construction of flood control system

MANILA, Philippines – An official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) yesterday said that they have resumed “full blast” operations on the Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela) Flood Control Project, that would be completed by mid-September this year.

In an attempt to appease the anger of city officials and residents of Malabon, DPWH-Camanava Flood Control-Project Management Office chief Engineer Macariola Bartolo reported that they are already 98 percent complete and that they would finish it on Sept. 15.

The two-percent remaining works that need to be done are the drainage maintenance of Northern Catmon, bank improvement of the Longos Creek in Malabon, and the polder dike in Malabon. Bartolo said that they had to slow down on the project because of lack of funds.

“There has been a slowdown in our construction since January because of a shortage on the budget allotment. We requested an additional P486 million from then Presidential Management Staff (PMS) chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr. but the money was not released.”

Additional fund

There was an order for the amount to be released last March, but it took three months to complete the documentation. It was only this July when the money was issued, thus allowing them to continue with the Camanava Flood Control Project.

Since they started working on the project in 2003, the government has already spent P5.18 billion.

The DPWH’s pronouncement that they would tackle the project full-blast, after a six-month lull, came after the city government of Malabon threatened to file criminal and administrative charges against them and the several contractors for their failure to finish the anti-flood project.

Bartolo said that even though they have not yet finished the project, the project has made positive impact on the people in the area. One example is in Letre Road in Malabon City. “Before, the people would have to suffer waist deep floods but now it has been reduced to the ankle level.” She said that the project is currently being undertaken by a joint venture of local contractors called BMWAD.

The DPWH was tasked by the national government to oversee the construction of the project. The Malabon flood control project was supposed to be completed in 2007.

The local government said that it has been coordinating with Maynilad Water Services Inc. (MWSI) in pin-pointing locations that currently have little or no water. – With Perseus Echeminada