DPWH to start repair of storm-hit Bulacan dikes

MEYCAUAYAN CITY, BULACAN, Philippines — Major flood control dikes in this city severely damaged by Supertyphoon Carina (international name: Gaemi) and the southwest monsoon last month, will be repaired this year using the budget from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) calamity fund.

A list of the damaged dikes has already been submitted to their central office and the Office of Civil Defense for urgent repair, said Melquiades Sto. Domingo, DPWH Central Luzon assistant regional director.

Sto. Domingo said his office has been closely coordinating with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to expedite the process, with repair scheduled to take place this year and in 2025, depending on the budget allocation.

READ: 2 Bulacan dams release water due to heavy rainfall from Carina

“Some projects are slated for next year’s budget, while others will hopefully be funded this year through the calamity fund,” he said in a recent interview.

George Santos, chief of the DPWH Second District Engineering Office, also assured that the necessary repairs have already been prioritized for funding.

Last week, Meycauayan City Mayor Henry Villarica expressed confidence that the DPWH would accelerate the dike repairs this year to prevent another catastrophic flooding in the city.

Worse than ‘Ondoy’

Villarica reported that 80 percent of the city was submerged in up to 3.66 meters (12 feet) of floodwater last month due to the collapse of dikes, which failed to withstand the strong current from neighboring cities in Metro Manila and Bulacan, as well as overflowing rivers.

He said the flooding they experienced in July was worse than what they suffered during Typhoon Ondoy (international name: Ketsana) in 2009, noting that the water level from Carina was a meter higher.

“One meter higher than the floods from Ondoy was the level brought by Carina here in Meycauayan. The entire fourth district was submerged, and we in Meycauayan were the hardest hit,” Villarica said.

According to the mayor, the dikes collapsed under the force of the water, and some were too low to hold back the overflow from the rivers.

The recent floods have led to 146 cases of leptospirosis and 19 deaths due to the disease in Bulacan, with Meycauayan and Marilao recording the highest numbers.