DENR, DPWH meet halfway on creek dredging
Officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will meet today (Thursday) to discuss the solution in saving the mangroves along the riverbank of Sitio Sooc, Bolilao Mandurriao without further delaying the P50 million Dungon dredging project.
DPWH-6 regional director Rolando Asis said he will meet today with environment officials to tackle the issues involving the contractor of the Dungon Creek project. The dredging was suspended pending the outcome of the talks.
The contractor of the Dungon Creek dredging is WT, a Cebu-based construction firm. It was reportedly sub-contracted by the International Builders Corporation (IBC). A backhoe with an imprint of IBC is stationed at Sitio Sooc.
Asis said they hope to come up with measures in protecting the mangrove site. The dredging project is included in the Iloilo Flood Control Project (IFCP) and is covered with an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
The compliance of the project implementor of the provisions set on the issuance of the ECC should be monitored by the technical committee composed of representatives from the different sectors such as the DENR. The technical committee will provide the executive committee of their findings before a conference is called.
The dredging works will cover the creeks and riverbanks in 13 barangays in Iloilo City. The dredging operation started at Sitio Sooc but was suspended after the Bolilao Empowerment Neighborhood Association (BOENA) raised their complaint against the destruction of mangroves.
Had it not for the vigilance of the residents, the contractor might have already destroyed large portion of the mangrove areas. Initially, some P30,000 worth of mangroves was uprooted in the riverbank of Sitio Sooc.
Ironically, the destruction of mangroves in areas covered by the dredging work was not given importance by the contractor. Prior to the issuance of the ECC, the DENR conducts an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and makes Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Asis is hoping to thresh out everything that hampers in the implementation of the dredging works which is aimed to ease flooding in the city every time heavy rains occur.
The mangrove destruction, presence of informal settlers along the riverbanks and inclement weather condition contributed to the delay in the implementation of the dredging works.
Of the some 400 informal settlers, only 100 families were relocated to the San Isidro, Jaro relocation site. The task to relocate the affected families is with the city government.