ILOILO City — Alarmed by recent flooding triggered by high tide, the Iloilo City Government has launched a flood mitigation campaign deploying 70 workers to clear major waterways and flood channels across the city.
The initiative, a partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), comes after several areas in City Proper were inundated despite the absence of heavy rains — exposing the growing vulnerability of the city’s drainage and flood control systems amid worsening climate-related threats.
The program was unveiled at the Jaro River, where Mayor Raisa Treñas stressed the urgency of continuously clearing waterways to prevent flooding incidents from worsening.
“Nag-high tide lang two meters, nagbaha kita. Very important gid nga sige-sige kita paninlo sang aton nga mga floodways kag waterways para masigurado naton ang daloy sang tubig,” Treñas said.
The mayor said the flooding incident underscored the need to keep waterways free from obstructions as extreme weather and tidal events become more frequent.
Under the program, 70 DOLE TUPAD beneficiaries from seven barangays will conduct clearing operations along waterways stretching from Barangay Hinactacan to Barangay Ticud in La Paz district, and from Barangay Ticud to Barangay Tabuc Suba in Jaro district.
The workers are composed of 10 beneficiaries each from barangays Banuyao, Baldoza, Caingin, Hinactacan, Tabuc Suba, Ingore, and Ticud. They will work for 31 days and receive P550 daily, or a total of P17,050 each for the duration of the project.
City officials said the initiative forms part of Iloilo City’s broader flood prevention strategy aimed at preventing debris buildup and blockages that could hamper water flow during heavy rains and high tide events.
Phase 1 of the project covers the seven identified barangays, while Phase 2 will extend operations from Tabuc Suba to Tacas, Jaro, where more waterways have been identified for urgent rehabilitation and maintenance.
“Tabuc Suba asta sa Tacas kay may ara man to na-identify nga mga waterways nga kinahanglan tinluan. Amat-amaton gid naton ini nga programa kay kon preparado kita, maiwasan naton ang pagbaha sa aton nga mga komunidad,” Treñas said.
Treñas also described flood prevention as a deeply personal advocacy, recalling her family’s own difficult experience during a severe flooding incident./PN