Flood-prone Bataan town undertakes 5 major flood control projects

DINALUPIHAN, Bataan – Speak of flooding in Bataan and the town of Dinalupihan will be the first to come into mind almost every rainy season in the past. In August of 2012 and 2013 for example, many areas in the only landlocked town in the province were submerged into flood waters more than seven feet deep.

With this in mind, Mayor Gila Garcia said they studied extensively the cause of the flood. “Pinag-aralan naming mabuti at nakita namin na walang dinadaluyan ang tubig-baha kaya sinisira ang kabahayan, kabuhayan at buhay,” she said.

To solve this, she said that they constructed new tributaries of almost three kilometers long, 20 meters wide and 10 meters deep from barangay Sta. Isabel to barangays Daan-Bago and Layac.

From Layac, the water goes directly to the Almacen Channel in Hermosa, Bataan down to the sea. “Simula nang matapos ang tributaries, halos nawala na ang baha sa Dinalupihan na nang mga nakalipas na taon ay umaakyat sa bubong ng kanilang mga bahay ang mga residente lalo na sa  barangay Sta. Isabel, Daan-Bago at Layac,” the mayor said.

Garcia considered the Layac junction as the main artery like in the veins of a person. “Kapag hindi passable ang Layac tulad ng mga nakaraang baha, hindi pwedeng lumabas at pumasok sa Bataan at Olongapo City kung daraan sa Lubao, Pampanga,” she said.

The mayor said that residents in three villages were the common subjects of rescue operations in the past. Sta. Isabel village chief Ruben Hulongbayan said that for the past years, they assisted in evacuating 200 persons in his barangay alone. “Pero ngayon pangatlong tag-ulan nang walang baha at wala na kaming inililikas,” he said. Hulongbayan said that farmers who were not able to plant palay during the past years can already plant this rainy season.

In early 2014, Garcia said that they undertook their five priority flood control projects, namely;  construction/repair of dike in Pagalanggang, construction of dike in Pita, rehab of Maguindong dam in Luakan, rehab/repair of dike in Sta. Isabel and construction of tributaries in barangays Sta. Isabel, Daan-Bago and Layac.

The projects were funded for P58.5 million with P15M coming from the provincial government and P43.5M from a loan sourced from the Municipal Development Office of the Department of Finance. The loan is payable in 15 years including the three-year grace period with only three percent fixed interest.

Garcia and Municipal Engr. Ruben Sapasap inspected the Maguindong Dam that was undergoing rehabilitation after its riprap gave way in 2012 and 2013 and strong water overflowed and damaged crops and houses. “Nang masira ang dike ng Maguindong, nagmistulang lawa ang mga palayan kaya kinongkreto at pinatibay ang slope protection,” the mayor said.

Garcia said there are still many works to do aside from the five priority flood control projects like the cleaning of clogged canals, desilting of drainage systems and attending to some landslides.