DPWH to probe cause of Subic flooding

Published September 24, 2013 3:43pm

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will be looking into the cause of severe flooding which claimed at least 19 lives in Subic, Zambales, a Malacañang spokesperson said Tuesday.

"[DPWH] Secretary [Rogelio] Singson will be looking into the situation. I would defer to the secretary’s opinion on whether the cause of the flooding is really the lack of dredging in Calaclan River," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said at a press briefing.

Some local authorities have been reported to have said that the cause of the flooding is the lack of dredging and flood control projects there.

One mayor even alleged that there has been no dredging there for the past three years, Valte said.

But she pointed out that there is already a dredger from the DPWH that is on standby in Olongapo City. However, it has not been operational since August 2011.

"Ang meron po tayo is since August 2011 nasira yung dredger. So hinahanap po natin yung verification on the claim na since 2010 pa hindi nade-dredge yung Calaclan River," she said.

"There are no available parts [of the dredger] on the market. That’s why Secretary Singson said they are already considering contracting out the dredging to a private company," she added.

Not the only solution

Still, Valte said dredging is not the only solution to flooding.

"Siguro the knee-jerk solution to any siltation in a river would be desiltation and dredging. But, as what Secretary Singson always say, yung widening also of the waterways yung kailangan dito," she said.

The problem, she said, is that widening is hampered by the presence of some structures along the rivers, the clearing of which is reportedly dependent on the local government.

Aside from this, Valte said they will still have to verify reports that illegal logging and illegal black sand mining contributed to the problem.

"We will leave it to DPWH how best to help the situation in that particular river," she said.

At least 19 were killed when heavy monsoon rain hit several areas in Subic in Zambales on Monday.

Valte said a total of 15,863 families or 69,747 persons from NCR, regions III, IV-A, and IV-B were likewise affected by the monsoon rains.

She said the government has opened 131 evacuation centers in the said regions to cater to 5,276 families.

"We are currently in the process of getting the numbers by way of relief goods and standby funds that the DSWD has allocated for these three places," she said. — Kimberly Jane Tan/RSJ, GMA News

Tags: dpwh, flood, subicfloods, subic, weather