BACOLOD City — After the postponement of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s scheduled visit on December 5, Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez confirmed that the President is set to arrive in Bacolod tomorrow, December 12.
President Marcos was originally scheduled to lead the launching of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) Oplan Kontra Baha last week, but the visit was deferred due to bad weather brought by Tropical Depression “Wilma.”
In a media interview on December 10, Benitez said he received a text message confirming that the President will push through with his trip to inspect the progress of flood mitigation projects in the city.
The solon said DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon also informed the media of the President’s impending arrival.
Benitez added that he intends to present to the President updates on his initiative, the Bacolod Flood Mitigation Summit, which he is pushing as part of long-term efforts to address flooding in the city.
Meanwhile, the second leg of the Bacolod Flood Mitigation Summit was held on December 10 in a local hotel. The summit is a comprehensive initiative aimed at addressing chronic flooding in Bacolod.
In his opening remarks, Benitez underscored the importance of collective effort, saying, “We are here because we love our city. If we want Bacolod to reach its full potential, we need to confront the problems that hold us back. Today is about facing that reality squarely—and building a future where flooding does not define Bacolod.”
He emphasized that the goal of the summit is to refine short-, medium-, and long-term interventions and align them toward a Flood Mitigation Masterplan—“a blueprint for the next decade, not just the next storm; a blueprint for the next generation, not just ours.”
It was learned that the city government under Mayor Greg Gasataya is conducting massive clearing and desilting operations in waterways, including drainage systems, rivers, and creeks.
Benitez’s office also hired 3,000 river warriors to clean and clear waterways in Bacolod. However, their employment ended on December 9 as they were hired under the DOLE-TUPAD program.
Despite the challenges, the solon expressed optimism, saying, “Bacolod’s greatest strength is our people. Bacolodnons know how to work together… Flooding may be our problem today. There may have been a crisis yesterday. But it will not be the story of our future.”
He ended with a call for unity: “Great cities are built by people who choose to shape their future rather than wait for it. And starting today, we choose a safer, stronger, and more resilient Bacolod.”
The first leg of the summit was held on October 20./PN
