Iloilo town sees fight vs flooding gaining ground

PIA Press Release 2007/06/12

Iloilo town sees fight vs flooding gaining ground

by ES Subong

Pavia, Iloilo (12 June) -- Barangay heads of the flood-prone communities in the town of Pavia believed that proper, efficient implementation of the Iloilo Flood Control Project (IFCP) and community participation, will make their town flood free in the days to come.

Pavia Mayor Arcadio Gorriceta, who led the project affected barangays in a dialogue with project consultants and contractors, said once the project is completed, Pavia, Jaro and all the other areas affected will be flood-free, after 60 years of suffering.

He also said that the IFCP, being a major project of the government, next to the Iloilo Airport, would have greater positive impact on the economy of Iloilo and the nearby provinces.

He added that the implementation of the project in his affected barangays have been relatively smooth as information flow on the status is regular, because of the efforts of the Information Management Group (IMG).

The dialogue was preceded by the launching of the Barangay Wall news in Bgy. Anilao, as a low-cost-community based strategy to keep the residents informed of the status of the Flood Control Project in their barangays.

Engr. Jimmy de Leon of the Department of Public Works and Highways said the Hadjin Contractors which undertake the civil works in the Pagsangaan-Anilao areas, are actually ahead of schedule despite a slippage of 1.33 percent as of date.

Mayor Gorriceta said that lapses are attended to through close monitoring and these are tackled by the Sangguniang Bayan in their session.

He asked the project consultants and the contractors that soil from excavated areas should be for the use of the municipality only, land filled to level its parks, housing areas and even the municipal cemetery.

Mr. Keigo Ito, Project Manager of IFCP Component II appreciated the efforts of the Barangay Environment and Information Group to launch to Barangay Wall News, as the start of community involvement in the actual implementation of the project.

He also said that dialogues are necessary at this time when the project is reaching high gear in its civil works component, so that the people can air their perceptions on the implementation and how this is affecting them. (PIA 6)



CABATUAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Cabatuan, Iloilo, Philippines

Cabatuan.com - Timeline 2007