Manay Gina, Mayor Belen's solutions vs. flooding

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – If the provincial government is still groping in the dark how to solve the perennial onslaught of floods, this independent component city had formulated a solution.

HARDWORKING. Dugupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez (left) and
Pangasinan's Fourth District Rep. Gina de Venecia.

According to this city’s mayor Belen T. Fernandez, Fourth District Congresswoman Gina de Venecia had interceded in the national government for a P100 million allocation to build dikes on the banks of Barangays Lasip Chico, Malued, Lasip Grande, Pantal, and Lucao.

“Alam mo marami ng intervention ngayon. Kunyari iyong area itataas natin iyan, ano ang ginagawa natin? Mag prepare tayo”.

She said dike in Lucao will bode well for the safety of those jogging aficionados against being bumped by vehicles that used the highway.

Fernandez cited other intervention measures to avoid flood like the construction of bigger highway for busses, installation of pumping stations just like what other countries do to mitigate flood.

Through the initiative of Rep. de Venecia, the Department of Public Works & Highway through District Engineer Rodolfo Dion has elevated the highways and expanded the drainage systems in Arellano, AB Fernandez, and Barangay Tapuac in a hundred of millions of pesos projects.

Critics of this city mayor have been accusing her that incase she pass the  overdue Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) flood water would submerge this below sea level city.

“Maayos na natin ito, gagawa tayo ng intervention, pang tourism-economic center iyan,” Mayor Fernandez cited.

Meanwhile, the Department of Science & Technology lauded Mayor Fernandez ballyhooed Tourism Economic Zones’ plan as it usher for investment to locate even to Barangays Pantal and Tambak.

 “We could invite investors like call centers, medical transcriptionists, BPO, others to these economic zones. Ang lloilo, Cebu, Baguio City mahigit sampung libo ang kanilang empleyado, bakit tayo wala? Kasi wala tayong tamang lugar for investment,” she said.

Fernandez cited these zones become multiplier effects for the benefit of the people here to have more jobs.

With more people working, they pay more taxes to the local government, they patronized other businesses like restaurants thus good for the local economy, she opined.