CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – To help mitigate flooding in Central Luzon, President Ferdinand R. Marcos disclosed that the government plans to construct five sabo dams in Nueva Ecija in 2027.
“There is a project for sabo river dams na lima kaagad sa Nueva Ecija dahil ito ‘yung kumukuha sa tubig sa taas. Sierra Madre na ‘yung pinagkukuhanan ng tubig,” the president said after a situation briefing on the effects of the southwest monsoon in the Central Luzon at the Capitol here on Aug. 24.
“‘Yan ay makakatulong para bawasan ang bilis nang pagbaba ng tubig, mabawasan ang siltation, at makakapag-ipon pa tayo ng tubig para gamitin for household use, industrial, for irrigation sa agrikultura,” he furthered.
Sabo dams are “check dams designed primarily for sediment control, debris flow prevention, and flow regulation to protect downstream communities and infrastructure from the devastating ‘battering ram’ effect typical of flash floods and volcanic debris.”
The structures became familiar to the Kapampangans in the immediate aftermath of the Mount Pinatubo eruptions, constructed at the Pasig-Potrero River and Upper Abacan River principally to stave off ensuing lahar flows.
The sabo dams are part of the “immediate, medium, and long-term solutions for flooding in the region,” Marcos Jr. said.
“Yung immediate term, syempre aayusin natin yung mga nasira at papalitan natin lahat ng mga nasira. yun ang pinaka-immediate na kailangang gawin, na madalian, para matapos uli,” he said, noting though that with the uncertainty of when the rains stop it cannot be done instantly.
“Kailangang maunawaan na hindi lamang sa flood control projects kundi pati na sa lakas talaga ng ulan na hindi pa natin nakita sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas,” he said of the causes of the massive flooding.
For the long-term, the president said the establishment of a long dike road along Manila Bay to reach up to Pilar, Bataan is under study. “Sa kasalukuyan pinagaaralan natin, that’s about a hundred kilometers, medyo matatagalan, pero pinagaaralan na natin.”
“At least, at the very least, meron tayong plano at meron na tayong masisimulan dun sa napakahaba na gagawin ng dike na kalsada para maharang ang tubig na nanggaling sa dagat, sa Manila Bay,” he said.
Marcos Jr., who earlier visited evacuation centers in Bacolor town, expressed satisfaction that “the immediate needs ng tao, yung kanilang pagkain, yunbg shelter, yung health care na dala ng pamahalaan ay nandiyan lahat.”
“Hindi naman tayo nauubusan ng gamit …ng tulong na patuloy hangga’t nagngangailangan ang tao ay bininigyan natin sila lahat,” he said. Punto News Team
