DAGUPAN CITY April 11 (PNA)–Mayor Belen Fernandez assured that more low-lying streets in Dagupan will be elevated and their drainage canals declogged as the city has started its preparations for the coming rainy season.
Fernandez inspected all the streets in the city that need to be elevated, insisting that elevation work has to be done to ease the burden of the people from perennial floods.
Fernandez ordered the city engineering office, headed by Virginia Rosario, to start all the flood mitigating projects now while there is still time and the rainy season has not yet set in.
Admitting that Dagupan is a flood-prone area and flood usually occurs every time tidal water rises in the adjacent Pantal River, Fernandez stressed the need for backfilling to raise the elevation of some streets.
The city government, she said, had already allocated for the projects in the 2015 annual budget of the city.
But if possible, Fernandez said, work must first start in remote villages so the people in these areas would not be isolated from the rest of the city when floods come.
Together with personnel of the city engineering office, the mayor inspected Barangays Bacayao Sur, Tambac, Bonuan Gueset, Lasip Chico and Lucao where some streets need elevation.
At the same time, the mayor announced that the ongoing dredging of the Calmay River would continue for another year using the three dredging machines set by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) through the intercession of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas.
However, only two of these dredging machines are working as the bigger one called Dredge Visaya broke down and needs immediate repair.
Fernandez said that testimonials of residents of Sitio Guibang, Barangay Pantal showed that flood somewhat eased in their areas this year as a result of the river dredging initially made.
“We are glad that with the help of Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, through the intercession of Secretary Roxas, these dredging machines will be with us for a long time,” she said. (PNA)