Mothballed Expo Pilipino threatened by erosion

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga — The mothballed P3.2-billion Expo Pilipino is again in danger of eroding into the Sacobia River, as rains continued to pummel the province.

Roberto Bernardo, chairman of Barangay Marcos, urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) yesterday to resume the desilting of the lahar-clogged Sacobia River which has reportedly created a new pathway near its eastern bank where the Expo Pilipino and houses are located.

Sonny Lopez, public affairs manager of Clark Development Corp. (CDC), said the state-run firm and the DENR are considering the resumption of desilting activities, which were stopped last March after the Natural Resources Development Corp. (NRDC), the corporate arm of the DENR, raised the quarrying fee at the river from P150 to P300 per truckload.

A DENR official earlier said the fee was raised after the CDC was allegedly found to be also making business out of the desilting operations by selling lahar sand hauled from the river to contractors.

At least one schoolbuilding in Barangay Marcos is now perched precariously on the edge of the riverbank and could crash into the river if the current triggers more erosion.

The schoolhouse was built as part of the civic projects of American soldiers who participated in joint military exercises under the Visiting Forces Agreement earlier this year.

The Expo Pilipino, located only about 200 meters from the bank of the Sacobia River, was reportedly built on what used to be part of a channel of the river.

The CDC said "geomorphic and geological studies" conducted by the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) showed that the Expo is indeed in danger of being eroded into the Sacobia River unless drastic measures are carried out.

While lahar from Mt. Pina-tubo stopped from flowing into the Sacobia River in 1993, strong water currents during the rainy season have continued to erode its banks.

President Estrada shut down Expo Pilipino last year because of heavy losses. The Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) is negotiating with private investors for the Expo, a theme park which was supposed to be the centerpiece for the country’s Independence Centennial celebration in 1998.

The MGB warned that unless the channel of the Sacobia River is deepened, the water current could also erode the eastern anchor of the P82-million Sacobia bridge, not far from Expo Pilipino.