P128-M Davao dam opened

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – A P128-million dam, said to be the biggest in Mindanao, started operating in Cateel town, Davao Oriental last week.

The dam, which was funded by the World Bank under the Mindanao Rural Development Project (MRDP), will irrigate farmlands in the area.

The dam has been hailed as a model project of the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP).

The construction of the Cateel dam was delayed after Typhoon Pablo devastated most parts of Davao Oriental and neighboring Compostela Valley province in 2012.

Lealyn Ramos, MRDP program director, said the municipal government of Cateel and the Department of Agriculture pursued the project despite the hindrance posed by Pablo.

“The legacy of the project, which withstands challenges, will leave an imprint as we go further and into the implementation of the PRDP,” Ramos said.

The dam, which was said to be the biggest MRDP project both physically and financially, was supposed to have been completed within seven months in 2012.

The provincial government employed around 700 workers, who worked three shifts a day to finish the project. 

Carol Figueroa-Geron, lead operations officer of the World Bank, said the project reflects the ties among those involved in the construction. 

Geron said many are eager to visit the province, specifically Cateel, to study how the dam was constructed.

Gov. Corazon Malanyaon urged farmers and irrigators to protect the dam as its sustainability relies on them.