The P63-million flood control structure in Echague, Isabela is now over halfway finished, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said in a statement on Thursday, March 4.
The development was reported to DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar by OIC-District Engineer Jocelyn P. Palaeg of the DPWH Isabela 4th District Engineering Office (DEO).
The agency is racing to finish the project along the Cagayan River’s Barangay Annafunan section in Echague, Isabela by July 2021 or just before the start of the rainy season.
Villar said the ongoing project includes the construction of a 444 linear meter gabion type flood control structure. The project is expected to mitigate the effects of flooding during heavy downpour, thus ensuring the safety of thousands of residents in the community of Annafunan.
"Once completed, the flood control structure will protect properties, livelihood, natural habitats in the area, while also decreasing the rate of erosion, preventing foundation and structural damage in the long run," the statement read.
Costing P63 million, the project is funded under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2020.