Cotabato acquires P41-M river dredger

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – The local government has acquired a P41-million floating excavator that the Cotabato City engineer’s office hopes will solve the city’s perennial flooding problem.

The robot-like, amphibious heavy-equipment with a 20-meter excavation reach and 25-liter daily fuel consumption is seen as ideal for clearing clogged creeks and small river tributaries, the city engineering office said.

Mayor Japal Guiani Jr. described the excavator as “awesome and impressive” and said that when put to full operation is expected to deepen heavily silted waterways that interconnect the Rio Grande de Mindanao, Pulangi and Tamontaka rivers.

Surrounded by rivers clogged by massive accumulations of water hyacinths, Cotabato was submerged in floods in 2008 and 2011, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents. Runoff from heavy rains swamped the city and outlying villages instead of flowing out to sea through the rivers, which were clogged by both vegetation and silt.

Abdillah Lim, chapter president of the Association of Barangay Captains in the city, has suggested the use of dredged-out sediments as earthfill in swampy and low-lying portions of the city.

Lim noted that some prospective investors have had second thoughts about doing business in the city due to the additional costs protection from floods.

“This is the time to make good use of the hauled debris by dumping them in public and private-owned lands,” said Lim.

Guiani said the acquisition of the excavator was made possible through an P80 million loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines. The loan also covered the purchase of two garbage compactors and a vibrating earth compactor, all of which were shown to the public on Friday.