PROMISE FULFILLED

P4-B floodway saved Iloilo City from floods, but…

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE Jaro floodway of the Iloilo Flood Control Project (IFCP) saved Iloilo City and its suburbs from three to four floods when heavy rains fell since last week.

Engr. Al Fruto, IFCP assistant project manager, said the volume of water that flowed out of the floodway since October 12 amounted to more than 500 cubic meters (cu. m.) per second.

Fruto said the water volume is three times more than the 150-cu. m. capacity of the floodway which was completed and became operational this year.

“The floodway averted three to four major flood incidents in the city since October 12. We can already notice the impact of the project this early,” Fruto said during the Infrastructure Summit mounted by the Iloilo Business Club Wednesday at Amigo Terrace Hotel.

Before the floodway was opened, Jaro and La Paz districts in Iloilo City and the municipality of Pavia were plagued with floods due to the overflowing of the Jaro, Tigum and Aganan rivers during prolonged heavy downpour.

Fruto said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and project consultant Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) are monitoring the performance of the IFCP.

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) funded the project through a loan package.

The 4.75-kilometer Jaro floodway is part of Stage 1 of the P4-billion IFCP. It starts from Brgy. Pagsanga-an, in Pavia, Iloilo to Brgy. Bito-on, Jaro, Iloilo City and diverts excess water discharge of Tigum and Aganan Rivers towards the Iloilo strait.

Other works under IFCP-Stage 1 are the improvement of the Aganan River in Pavia town and Tigum River in Cabatuan, improvement of the Jaro River mouth, Iloilo River, Upper Ingore Creek and construction of the Carpenter, Pagsanga-an, Anilao, Balabago, Buhang, and Bito-on bridges.

P4B MORE

Meanwhile, Fruto said Stage 2 of the IFCP will require some P4 billion to be completed.

The major components of IFCP-Stage 2 include the raising banks and stretching alignment of the middle section of Jaro River, construction of La Paz floodway, improvement of Dungon Creek and urban drainage and improvement of Lower Ingore, Rizal and Bo. Obrero Creeks.

Fruto said Stage 2 will largely depend on the performance of the Jaro floodway.

“If the consultant sees that the Jaro floodway will not be enough to contain floods in the city, we will proceed with Stage 2. We already have the plans for the project and all we need are funds,” Fruto said.

Iloilo City Rep. Jerry P. Treñas said he can provide funds to the project using his priority development assistance fund (PDAF) or pork barrel but it will not be enough.

Treñas said it will take another year of negotiation and processing if the national government draws another loan from JBIC to fund IFCP-Stage 2.

“It will depend on the recommendations of the project consultant and engineers if there is a need to construct Stage 2,” Treñas said.

Fruto also said one of the conditions of JICA in approving the proposed IFCP-Stage 2 loan is that the project should affect not more than 200 informal settlers.

Since some 3,500 informal settlers are seen to be displaced by the project, the local government unit of affected areas will be responsible for the clearing and relocation of informal settlers along the Jaro River.

Fruto said they can downscale the project if there are not enough funds.

“We can delay the rehabilitation of the creeks and proceed with the construction of the LaPaz floodway and improvement of the Jaro River.”

The DPWH said the Jaro floodway might not be enough to contain a 20-year flood similar to what typhoon Frank caused in Pavia and Iloilo City, thus the need to implement IFCP-Stage 2. (With reports from LCPendon)