DPWH, Japanese Contractors Collaborate
on ‘Useless’ Projects - UP Prof

 “Useless” is how Kevin Rodolfo, visiting professor of the University of the Philippines, describes the government’s flood control projects in Pampanga province in Central Luzon.

BY AUBREY SC MAKILAN
Bulatlat

 SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga -“Useless, useless. It’s too late!” said Kevin Rodolfo, visiting professor of the University of the Philippines, referring to flood control projects in Pampanga.  Rodolfo is also a professor of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences of the University of Illinois in Chicago, United States of America.

These projects, which consist of dredging lahar-filled rivers, elevating roads and the construction of the Third River, are supposed to solve the flooding in the city and nearby towns in the province.  But, Rodolfo in a Bulatlat interview last week, these projects are rendered useless by incidences of land subsidence and the inflow of seawater in local rivers during high tide.

The problem of land subsidence and the effects of high tide on local river was pointed out by Rodolfo and Fernando Siringan of the National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS) of the College of Science, UP Diliman, Quezon City, in their paper entitled “Relative Sea Level Changes and Worsening Floods in the Western Pampanga Delta: Causes and Some Possible Mitigation Measures”. The paper contains the results of their study conducted from July to December last year.

“That's simple and that's going to get worse,” Rodolfo told Bulatlat.

These, Rodolfo said, are important factors that the government should consider before embarking on flood control projects in the area.  However, even though concerned government agencies already knew these things, they still proceed with their projects anyway, he said. He added that initial reaction of officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was to contest their findings.

Rodolfo said that in 1952, the DPWH recorded the land level in selected spots in Pampanga. When the DPWH reviewed these records in 2001, they found out that there was indeed subsidence in these areas. These proved the veracity of Rodolfo and Siringan’s findings.

 Meanwhile, Jean-Christopher Gaillard, associate professor of the Department of Geography, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy also in UP Diliman, said that the government’s response to the problem is purely reactive and short-term.

 Palliative projects

One of the flood control projects of the DPWH is road elevation. However, floods flow to parts of the roads that have not yet been elevated. Gaillard also said that houses, which have not yet been elevated to align with the roads, became more prone to floods. He concluded that road elevation projects may work for two to three years but these also adds pressure to the ground thereby leading to more land subsidence in the long term.

 Another project of the DPWH is the desiltation of lahar-filled tributaries. Rodolfo however argued that “desilting is overrated” and this process needs continuity. Another problem pointed out by Engr. Marcelina Ocampo of the DPWH Region III is the lack in dredging machines.  During President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s visit in Pampanga, she promised to give P16 million to buy additional backhoes, instead of dredging machines, to desilt rivers. According to Ocampo, backhoes are not effective for desilting rivers since these had to be placed on a barge thereby limiting the depth of its dredging operations.

At present, desiltation takes place in the Porac-Gumain River, Guagua, Lubao, Sasmoan, Floridablanca, and Bacolor tributaries. But according to Ocampo, dredging operations are not continuously done.  Their operations stop whenever local government units are not able to provide diesel for the machines. An hour of dredging cost consume around P2, 000 worth of diesel.

 Ocampo also told Bulatlat that they do not conduct dredging operations if there is no available spoil site adjacent to the river.  A spoil site is where they place the silt removed from the river.

The other flood control measures of the DPWH is the excavation of river basins to serve as catchments for floods, the diversion of the Porac-Gumain River to a man-made river, and the construction of the Third River, a man-made river designed to absorb flood waters. These projects are under the Pinatubo Hazard Urban Mitigation Project of the DPWH and the Mt. Pinatubo Emergency Project Management Office (MPE-PMO). 

The project is being funded through a loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).  The feasibility study for the project was done by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Rodolfo thinks that the construction of the Third River is useless.  He noted that two-thirds of the proposed Third River is prone to high tide, which will prevent the water from flowing. Also, the alignment of the river has gone through so many changes because of political decisions. For example, when people from Minalin town protested because the construction of the river will displace them, their congressman appealed that it be diverted.

“But that is a response to political pressure,” he said. “It has nothing to do with whether the system will work well or not.”

Director Catherine Cabral of the MPE-PMO said that almost 99 percent of the dredging for the river has been completed. The required pipeline installation is just waiting for the approval of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA). Cabral said the construction of the Third River will cost P915 million, 83 percent of which will be sourced from the 23^rd JBIC Yen Load Package. Payment of the loan is due by 2006.

When told about Rodolfo’s analysis that the project will be useless, Cabral said that she has not heard of Rodolfo’s study.

According to Rodolfo, the diversion of the Porac-Gumain River is even more useless.  He said that he got a copy of the plan from a source he refuses to name. Rodolfo averred that the plan showed that the lower 17 kms of the project is already below sea level. This means that incursion of sea water to the river would take place.

Rodolfo revealed that the DPWH knew this problem all along. “It’s totally useless and they know that but they’re getting ahead anyway,” he worried. He also alleged that the Japanese consultants and the DPWH officials are collaborators. “They all make money and who will pay for that? You will pay for that with your taxes, me, too.”

Long-term planning

Rodolfo and Gaillard both agreed that long-term planning is needed. The problem according to them that San Fernando, like in most places, lacks long-term land use planning.

They also agreed that nothing could be done about the problem of land subsidence. It is worsened by population growth which increases the demand for water. Gaillard suggested that the use of water pumps be minimized.

Rodolfo said that the government should not have restricted the flow of lahar in the first place. He cited the town of Bacolor the land level of which was elevated by lahar flows. Today, Bacolor is the highest place in Pampanga and does not experience flooding anymore. Although they admitted that there are difficulties because the residents need to relocate for about ten years to allow the lahar to settle.

Residents of San Fernando and other flood-prone areas fear that they will be affected by floods after every typhoon especially if these projects are indeed useless.

Gaillard also said that politics hinder the formulation of long-term plans that will eventually solve the problem of floods.  According to him, politicians do not formulate long-term plans the implementation of which will exceed their term of office thereby ineffective in garnering votes in succeeding elections.   

Aside from the need for long-term planning, Rodolfo stressed that the residents should critically analyze the projects being implemented by politicians. Bulatlat

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