Gov defends dike collapse at Ajong River

CEBU, Philippines – "No one is smarter when nature attacks," according to Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo in response to criticisms and accusations blaming him for the collapse of the river control dike project along Ajong River in Sibulan town at the height of typhoon Queenie last week.

The project was constructed using the controversial calamity fund, but was not completed because the other half of the money was recalled by the Department of Budget and Management, said Degamo.

The governor said the project was only 75.34 percent complete because the second release was held in abeyance despite his pleadings for DBM to return the other half, to save lives and limbs including properties.

He said the dike, as well as other river control projects funded by half of the P961 million calamity fund, had overcome previous flash floods, but "when Mother Nature strikes, nobody can stop a rampaging floodwaters, not even mega structures."

Degamo was however happy that the contractor, Legaspi Premium Development Corporation, was willing to take the immediate repairs of the collapsed dike, before another flashfloods could worsen the situation.

While much has been said about the collapse of the river control dike in Ajong, Degamo said his detractors failed to take a look at four river control dikes in Tayasan town, in the first district, that also collapsed as a result of the flashfloods.

These are the Tibyawan River dike, the Hibulangan river control project in Mato-og, the Himamala dike and the Mata-ota river control dike, all in Tayasan. The Tampocon bridge, an old structure in Ayungon town, was also destroyed, he said.

On the engineering aspect, Provincial Engineer Franco Alpuerto confirmed the public's observations that there were no iron bars in the collapsed structure, because the engineering design for it was for excavation, rechanneling, dredging, grouted riprap and sheet piling.

Alpuerto explained that, due to river shifting and scouring in an un-finished project, floodwaters shifted directions and softened the foundation of the dike.

With regards to the Calabnugan bridge approach, Alpuerto explained a P4 million surplus was identified two months ago for the construction of a river control dike upstream of the bridge in Okoy river to prevent river shifting and scouring of the approach.

However, use of the funds has to go through the procedure, which was to be submitted first to the Provincial Board for approval, until Queenie arrived and overtook their program before completion.

The other approach of the bridge has withstood the rampaging floodwaters because a dike was already constructed upstream and downstream.