P4.12-billion Agno River project completed this year

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang has given assurance on the completion of the P4.12-billion Agno River Flood Control Project (ARFCP) Phase 2 this year, bringing relief from flash floods to the residents of Tarlac and Pangasinan.

Presidential Management Staff Director General Hermogenes Esperon Jr., in a recent inspection of the project in Rosales, Pangasinan, said the project would be completed within the year in compliance with the order of President Arroyo for the fast-tracking of vital infrastructure projects.

Esperon, who chairs the Pro-Performance Steering Committee or Pro-Performance Team of the government, said the project was among those mentioned by the President as priority infrastructure projects in her State of the Nation Addresses.

The ARFCP Phase II involves the improvement in the upper Agno River extending from the Wawa Bridge in Bayambang to Alcala near the entrance of the floodway.

Improvements are being carried out along the 23-kilometer Bayambang-Bautista-Alcala stretch of the river, including the construction of the floodway to the Poponto Swamp retarding basin and closure dike at the floodway entrance, elevating the existing dike, and construction of new dikes, revetment groin, and bridges. 

Esperon said the project would mitigate damage in the Agno River basin caused by recurrent flooding.

The insufficient carrying capacity of the river has led to heavy flooding in Tarlac and Pangasinan since the early 1990s.

“Once completed, the project will provide relief to residents from recurrent flooding and reduce damage to crops, properties, and public facilities, and risk to people’s lives,” Esperon said. 

“This will benefit largely the municipalities of Alcala, Bautista and Bayambang in Pangasinan and the municipalities of Paniqui and Moncada in Tarlac, including neighboring towns in Northern Luzon,” he said.

Esperon added: “This will dramatically improve the lives of our people, including farmers, or our agri-businessmen, motorists and residents.”

He said the project is 90 percent finished.

“We are getting positive feedback about the project. The people look forward to its completion,” he said. 

“We will do what needs to be done to meet our targets. With 2010 just around the corner, we are now working triple time to ensure that the projects are implemented, completed and operationalized as scheduled,” he added. 

President Arroyo has ordered the speedy implementation of infrastructure projects lined up for this year to generate employment and pump-prime the economy.

Esperon gave assurance that the Pro-Performance Team would continue to carry out its mandate of being “merciless in ripping through undue obstacles in the way of overdue priority infrastructure projects.”

Other members of the Pro-Performance Steering Committee are Ambassador Marita Magpili-Jimenez of the Asian Development Bank (international development organizations), Jose Rizal University president Vincent Fabella (academe), and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Rosario Uriarte (national government advocacy).