Flash Flood in Dagupan City Reduced – DPWH

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

SANTA BARBARA – The flash flood that haunts Dagupan City had been significantly reduced after the Department of Public of Works & Highway (DPWH) built a one kilometer dike in Calasiao town, according to the Third Engineering Office of the DPWH here.

Maintainance Engineer Isagani Jose told this paper that the massive flood that endangered lives and properties of the residents of the five villages in Dagupan City would no longer be the same because of the one kilometer slope dike protection near the Ramos Bridge the DPWH constructed last  year.

Dagupan City Mayor Belen T. Fernandez inspects flood prone Barangay Malued
with Barangay Chairman Filipina S. de los Santos (2nd from left) and City Engineer
Jane Rosario (2nd from right). 

Jose was summoned recently by Third Engineering Office’s District Engineer Simplicio D. Gonzales because the latter just assumed the post from DE Mariatta B. Mendoza and was not privy of the brouhaha brought by the 1.5 meters each three culverts constructed by Mendoza that got the goat of Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez who blamed the up to eight feet flood in her Barangays Lasip Chico, Lasip Grande, Malued, Lucao and Tapuac to that construction.

Because of the egresses created by the culverts classes from elementary to college in Dagupan City had been incessantly suspended despite the absence of downpour.

“Hinde na kasi sa Calasiao tinaasan namin para di mag overflow ang tubig. So iikot doon sa Banaoang,” Jose cited.

He said the one kilometer river bank to bank concrete dike stretched from Barangays Poblacion, Nalsian, and to Banaoang of Calasiao.

Mayor Fernandez earlier proposed that the banks of the new river channel be protected with a dike and that a flood gate be constructed in the huge culvert to re-direct the flood water down to the nearby Banaoang River and not directly to Barangay Lasip Chico.

4^th District Congressman Christopher de Venecia said he will work closely with 3rd District Representative Rosemarie Arenas who has jurisdiction over Calasiao on the construction of a dike along the new river channel and protect the city’s rivers from silts. He will also push for the construction of a floodgate in the huge culvert.

DPWH Second Pangasinan Engineering Chief Rodolfo Dion, who oversees the 2^nd and 4^th Congressional Districts, said his office in early 2016 built a gabion and dike slope protection on both the river banks under the jurisdiction of Dagupan City that connect the Ramos Bridge in Barangay Lasip Chico and Bacayao.

“They are five kilometers in length from both banks to stop the river from overflowing, ”Dion said.

Cascading flood in the Banaoang River came from the mountainous Benguet Province.

He cited that every one kilometer of the dike costs the government twelve million pesos.

Jose agreed with this paper that if the previous flood was 100% deep it could be 30 % less deeper becaue of the engineering intervention by the DPWH.

“Oo, ma rereduce na ang baha doon,” he said.