Solutions vs liquefaction at Dagupan’s growth areas - DPWH

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN – The District Engineer of the Department of Public Works & Highway has answer to critics of the Dagupan City's mayor that the construction of skyscrapers in the city could endanger lives and properties because of liquefaction.

SOLUTION. District Engineer Rodolfo C. Dion (extreme left)
discusses with Dagupan City's Mayor Belen T. Fernandez
(extreme right) the various projects the Department of
Public Works & Highway implemented in the City.

Liquefaction is any process which either generates a liquid from a solid or a gas, or generates a non-liquid phase which behaves in accordance with fluid dynamics.

District Engineer (DE) Rodolfo C. Dion said that it is not a problem to build edifices on soft coastal areas like Dagupan City because of design and engineering.

‘’Kung kailangan mung mag drive ng piles foundation resting on piles. Iyon ang piles foundation mo,” he stressed.

He said the foundation and piles would be located at the hardest part of the soil at the bottom where they could rest.

He cited he could not ascertain the average depth of the foundations because every location in the coastal city has various deep.

He cited the almost a billion peso Pantal Bridge – a big ticket project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
After more than a decade since its construction, the mammoth bridge remains stable despite the skepticism raised by critics when it was being built because of liquefaction.

The pronouncement of Dion came after the Dagupan City mayor signed into law the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) for the three growth areas and the zonal ordinance that would convert agricultural land to commercial in Dagupan to usher for her urbanization.

The two laws would transform Dagupan City into cities like Iloilo and Cebu where skyscrapers and edifices, through developers like Ayala, SM Properties, Megaworld, others, would enhance the landscape.

 Meanwhile, according to District Engineer Dion, the DPWH has allocated P150 million for the construction of a flood mitigating project along the Sinocalan River in Dagupan City.

In a meeting with Mayor Ferndandez, Dion cited other flood mitigation projects like the Pantal Dike, Phase 2 Sinocalan river bank protection, Bonuan Sea Wall, repair of river bank protection at Pantal River and Bacayao Sur, construction of three boulders’ spur dikes at Bacayao Sur, construction of bank protection at Pogo-Lasip, and, construction of bank protection at Malued.