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BY MERIANNE GRACE EREÑETA and PRINCE GOLEZ, Manila Reporter
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ILOILO City – Monday night’s torrential rains caused flashfloods in areas with new and ongoing construction of drainage systems and road rehabilitation of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Some blamed the delayed drainage and road projects for the flooding.
“DPWH has to explain. It seems useless ang mga drainage,” said Councilor Ely Estante, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s (SP) committee on engineering, construction and public works.
Estante recalled DPWH announcing at a recent multi-sectoral conference that the city’s sewers were already functional.
“I-explain ang rason nga-a dugay mag-subside ang tubig despite nga ang drainage operational na. Sa nakita nga baha, it seems useless ang mga bag-o nga drainage,” said Estante.
Parts of the districts of Jaro, Molo, La Paz, and City Proper were flooded.
Estante warned of more flooding, noting that the last quarter of each year is usually marked with more typhoons. He urged contractors of DPWH projects to speed up their work.
“Kun kinahanglanon, i-compel ang contractors to work 24/7,” he said.
Among the ongoing drainage projects in this city are on Delgado Street (near Iloilo Doctors’ Hospital) going to Jalandoni Street and Fuentes Street, City Proper.
People complained of the flashflood, too, in front of the Iloilo Terminal Market.
Meanwhile, Rep. Jerry Treñas, reacting to the criticism that he was too quiet on the slow construction of roads and sewers in Iloilo City, said DPWH was beyond his authority.
“My job is law-making. DPWH is not under me,” Treñas told Panay News.
He pointed to DPWH Iloilo City District Engineer Rodney Gustilo as the right person to answer questions.
Councilor Joshua Alim recently asked, “Why can’t our congressman and mayor discipline these callous contractors? What are they afraid of?”
Most of the road construction projects in this city have national funding thus these are within Treñas’ sphere of concern, stressed Alim.
Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, too, could certainly seek punishment on the contractors because the projects are within the city, he added.
“I have already coordinated with Gustilo to supervise the implementation closely. I understand that there are daily reports being done,” Treñas told Panay News.
The contractors should hire additional manpower and the work should be non-stop, suggested Alim.
He also called for a review of the working days allotted to every road construction project.
Contractors failing to beat their deadlines should be slapped with sanctions, he said.
The slow road constructions are causing inconvenience to the public, Alim lamented. He specifically pointed to the construction on Luna Street, La Paz district in front of West Visayas State University and Iloilo National High School./PN
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