BACOLOD CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways is set to start the construction of floodgates with pumping stations in three major rivers in this city next year.
MAYOR Albee Benitez speaks in a press briefing at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) on Monday, Nov. 11. (Glazyl Masculino)
The project has total allocation of P300 million in the agency’s proposed 2025 budget.
“We’re happy to announce after a year of lobbying with the national government, flood gates will be constructed in the three out of the five major rivers," Mayor Albee Benitez said in a recent press briefing.
Benitez said that each floodgate on the Mandalagan River, Lupit River, and Magsungay River will cost P100 million to build.
He said that flood is a major issue that is not just affecting the city but also the entire world.
“It is a global concern. If we do not address the problem, considering that climate change is the culprit of the flooding, then we might be missing the point,” Benitez said.
Benitez said that this city is the first local government unit (LGU) in the country that have requested floodgates and pumping stations as he appealed several times to the national government to look for solutions to flooding.
“The floodgates would prevent seawater from coming in, and pumping stations would pump out the water during high tide,” the mayor said.
The two other major rivers here are Banago and Sum-ag.