Delay in Dungon creek dredging works seen
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 6 Regional Director Rolando Asis expects a delay in the completion of the dredging works at Dungon creek with the present bad weather condition.
The dredging works which has a contract period of 240 calendar days will be undertaken by Cebu-based WT Construction.
The contractor was already given the notice to proceed with the dredging works which starts from Magsaysay Village in La Paz until Dungon B in Jaro district. The funding for the dredging of Dungon Creek was sourced out from the 2009 calamity fund of the DPWH since the Paglaum Fund has yet to be released.
Paglaum Fund, which is still pending in Congress, is intended for the rehabilitation of infrastructures damaged by last year's typhoon Frank as well as the dredging of creeks.
Asis said based on the projected estimate the dredging works must be completed by February or March of 2010.
The dredging works will affect several barangays and a number of families. The city government through the Iloilo City Urban Poor and Affairs Office (ICUPAO) has already identified the affected families that will be relocated to the city’s relocation site. Initially, there are 600 houses which will be affected by the dredging works. It was learned that some families are asking for consideration as they have their livelihood in the barangays where they are currently located.
The dredging of the creek is the city’s flood preventive measure after the occurrence of Typhoon Frank. The natural state of the creek was affected by the soil erosion and presence of the families occupying the creek. The contractor was asked not to alter the natural state of the creeks covered in the dredging activities.
Earlier, DPWH asked the assistance of Mayor Jerry Treñas to take charge of the families living along the creeks for the immediate implementation of the dredging activities. The refusal of some residents to transfer to the relocation site will further delay the project implementation.
The national government has initially allotted some P481 million as initial funds for the rehabilitation and construction of infrastructure projects destroyed by Typhoon Frank in Iloilo and Panay.