Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya sat down with officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Almana Construction to urge them to accelerate the construction of the P152 million diversion channel project along Burgos Street in the reclamation area and ensure that this is “functional” by the end of this year, a press release from his office said.
Gasataya who presided in the joint conference at the Bacolod City Government Center yesterday gave the assurance that design and equipment concerns will be resolved, allowing the simultaneous start of inlet works at Mambuloc Creek today, August 27. These actions will facilitate water flow from the creek and nearby drainages during channel construction, reducing flood risks.
The DPWH has developed a detailed engineering plan for the coastline outfall, to be implemented by Almana Construction, the release said. Additionally, the city government pledged to supply a flap gate and sluice gate to prevent seawater backflow, especially during high tide. This equipment has already been ordered and expected to arrive within three months.
The inlet is slated for completion in two months, with immediate installation of the flap and sluice gates at the outfall upon arrival.
“As for the pumping station and other engineering interventions, these will be handled by the national government,” Gasataya stated. “On our part, the most important thing is to open and operationalize the channel at the soonest possible time because people have long been waiting for this project to be functional.”
He added that the clear timetable eliminates finger-pointing and assures the public of ongoing progress of this project that was initiated back in 2023.