Iloilo City gets P50M from Paglaum Fund
ILOILO CITY – The city government will get some P50 million as its share in the initial partial release of P483 million Paglaum Fund and will be used for the dredging of Dungon Creek in Mandurriao district.
City mayor Jerry P. Treñas said the creek is an important waterway that absorbs surface water during the rainy season and must be rehabilitated and dredged to pave the way for surface water to pass through and go to the Iloilo River.
Rapid urbanization and the emergence of housing villages in the area have constricted the flow of water that led to flashfloods. Super typhoon Frank that occurred last June 21-22, 2009 had flooded for several days the downstream area including those along the diversion road.
Treñas said the national government has assured P8 billion approved by Congress as Paglaum Fund for Western Visayas provinces but only P483 million will be released initially.
The bulk of the initial amount will be used by the Department of Public Works and Highways to construct or rehabilitate 13 destroyed bridges, roads and other government infrastructures in the province of Iloilo and other provinces in Panay and Negros Occidental.
Treñas said that four creeks in this city need to be dredged in order to become more effective waterways. Aside from Dungon Creek, the other creeks that need dredging are the Ingore, Ticud and Buntatala creeks that will greatly help the absorption of surface water not diverted to the nearby Iloilo floodcontrol project.
The city government will fund the reconstruction of the Ticud Bridge with its own resources, the city mayor said.
By Lydia C. Pendon
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[...] Treñas said the national government has assured P8 billion approved by Congress as Paglaum Fund for Western Visayas provinces but only P483 million will be released initially. Read more >> [...]
“CONVERT DIRTY FLOODWATER TO CLEAN ENERGY”
(by: arch’t. GIL VERGARA JAPITANA April 7, 2009))
Our rivers and floodways seem to help drain one of our most precious resources ( water ) into the sea!!
I was also a victim during the June21 flood, and amun balay sa Cuartero Hiway Jaro, gin bahaan man, four rooms on the ground floor was waterlogged up to the ceiling, 3cars on top of our elevated garage (12” higher than the hiway) was not spared and my wife’s colon CA recurred after helping us clean 4feet of mud. While the flood is at its highest level, everybody’s prayers seem to be in unison, “SAN-O NI MAHUBAS AND BAHA MAN??” or “ANO ORAS MAGHUNAS??. But, daw waay gid ko kabati nga may namangkot kun “DIIN NAGKADTO ANG DAKU-DAKU NGA VOLUME SANG TUBIG?? Of course the answer is very obvious nga sa DAGAT.
We failed to “STORE” that precious water (before it goes to the sea) in our baso, pitsel, banga, tadyaw, labador, balde, laton, alyebe, tangke, watern cistern, reservoirs and Dams.
If we have stored it, then we will be able to use it during seasons when water supply is low.
I have a recommendation.. this Idea was inspired by our Banaue Rice Terraces. Its “pelete” or earthdikes holds water for agricultural use. The excess water overflows on a regulated mode thru a “Trampa” and goes down to the next lower level of rice paddy.
1. RADIAL ROAD ( Transport NetworK)
In our case, these pelete or earthdikes shall be transformed into a 4-lane provincial/national road which will connect the seaports of the northern towns and the seaports of the southern towns via the New Iloilo Airport ( central towns) forming a radial road with Iloilo City as the center of the radius. The south and north seaports of Iloilo Prov. also connects to the north and south seaports of Negros island thereby creating a Land, Air and Sea transport Network.
These radial roads shall make use of the existing road networks that interconnects the municipalities. New roads shall be constructed for missing links.
2. WATER STORAGE
This radial road with a high capacity canal on one side, will serve as the “pelete” to hold surface run-off and rainwater. Thus “preventing” rainwater and other souce of water to become floodwater. At this level a storage is already made. We now have water for household, drinking (processed), agri, industrial, etc. We can make one, two or three layers concentric radial roads which will depend on the actual ground gradient.
3. FLOODING
Flooding may also be prevented by several short, medium, and long term interventions. The radial canal which are perpendicular to the direction of rivers, will store water thus preventing area flooding. The capacity of agri lands to absorb water shall also be enhanced. Reforestation as a long term solution must be immediately implemented.
4. POWER ( CLEAN ENERGY )
The best component of this dream, is the “trampa” which will be transformed into a Dam and “Hydro Power” as source of clean energy. A large, micro or mini hydropower plants, which will depend on the volume of water collected, maybe constructed during the last phase. Its location shall be at the confluence of the main river and the radial canal. If volume of water is not enough, hydropower may not be feasible. The project will only be used to store water. ( an FS will make sure that no “white elephant” will swim and get drowned in the storage facility).
5. SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT and TOURISM POTENTIAL
The areas located between the northern/southern seaports and the international airport shall have a big potential of converting their respective municipalities into an expansion of economic development of Iloilo City. In a way, decentralization will lessen the burdens of the city.
This mega structure can also be one among the many tourists attractions or destinations within the country and around the world.
By this idea, we solve flooding, water supply (drinking, agri, home, comml, indl use) , power supply (clean energy), and accessibility (land, water and air). A reforestation component shall be in place not only to ensure long range sustainability, but also to ensure good quality of air. We can make a scale model in order to simulate flow of water downstream.
This concept is still at its infancy stage which needs to be nourished by leaders and technical consultants. This mega structure needs comprehensive study for its social acceptability, technical accuracy and economic feasibility. Project implementation maybe done in phases, Phase1 should be functional without phase2, same as with phase 3 and 4.
If given the chance and all support, and with the help of my colleagues in United Architects of the Philippines, Iloilo Chapter, and PICE, PSME, CHE, IIEE, EnP, and other technical/professional groups, we are willing to conduct a comprehensive study for this very ambitious yet noble project. Partial data gathering is now being done.
Together we can shoot a flock of birds using one stone! ( pay hanggud nga bato guro!! If my dream is not colored, then somebody has to paint it.)
Siling ni Albert Einstein, “if at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope in it.”.