A Department of Public Works and Highways team and a dredger are expected to arrive in the third district on Negros Occidental Thursday, January 7, to help clear waterways and mitigate flooding in the area, Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg Occ., 3rd District) said today, January 5.
Benitez is also set to meet with the DPWH team Thursday to discuss the flooding problem in his district.
Floods hit Talisay, Silay and Victorias cities, and EB Magalona town on January 1 affecting thousands of residents, and destroying and damaging hundreds of houses.
“We have requested for dredging from the DPWH since last year,” Benitez said.
“The rivers and the deltas have already been identified, but more details should emerge from the meeting with the DPWH on Thursday,” he said.
He said the mayors of the third district are all meeting with their respective disaster response teams and planning interventions this week. “It looks like they have things well in hand,” he added.
They are also asking the Department of Social Welfare and Development to aid those who lost their houses, he said.
Benitez and his brother, former Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, have been visiting the flood-hit residents and looking into what caused the floods.
Many rivers and waterways are blocked by silt and garbage, the former congressman said.
“We are proposing a cleanup drive and continuous maintenance of the rivers,” he added.
The Talisay City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) has recommended medium to long-term solutions to mitigate the flooding problem starting with a meeting this week with the DPWH for dredging work to be done in the city’s two main river systems and waterways.
The CDRRMC also tackled the need for the future relocation of informal settlers residing under bridges, livelihood projects for affected families, revisiting of the City’s Drainage Plan, and the regreening of Talisay.
Mayor Francis Palanca also convened the Victorias CDRRMC on Monday to discuss measures to mitigate flooding in his city.
They discussed the clearing of waterways, the rehabilitation of the Malihaw River, and the utilization of existing rain gauges.
The group also revisited a hazard map produced by a University of the Philippine LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) team that identifies Victorias City’s critical point facilities and flood exposure levels.*