CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The National Irrigation Administration has submitted a proposal for the restoration and rehabilitation of the Sto. Cristo Dam and its adjacent infrastructures worth P699.5 million.
The restoration of the dam in Lubao heavily damaged during the recent torrential rains was deemed top priority for the immediate post-habagat infrastructure interventions during a coordination meeting on Sept. 21 at the Capitol among Gov. Lilia “Nanay” Pineda, Vice Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda, officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways, local government units, and the NIA.
NIA said that of the proposed funding, P292.68 million will go to the rehabilitation of the Sto. Cristo Dam, including a 100-meter retaining wall and embankment works; P19 million to repair of the damaged Gumain Main Canal North and siphon, along with the construction of drainage and irrigation canal; P19 million for upgrading upstream slope protection works, including a 500-meter parapet wall upstream of the dam; and P368 million for the restoration and rehabilitation of slope protection along the 600-meter embankment of Cabangcalan Creek.
The DPWH for its part will allot P50 million for the construction of 200-meter retaining wall as added protection.
The DPWH 2nd District Engineering Office also reported that hauling operations following the dredging of the Labuan River in Barangay Sta. Ursula, Guagua town, have started with the spoils to be used as reinforcement material in the undergoing repair of the damaged portions of the Bacolor-Sto. Tomas-Minalin Tail Dike.
A second agenda at the meeting was the protection of the North Luzon Expressway from further flooding.
A technical working group of the Capitol, the DPWH, and NIA have been tasked to prepare concrete plan to determine silted and clogged waterways around the expressway. Once completed, the plan will be presented to Manny V. Pangilinan, whose Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. operates NLEX, and Ramon S. Ang, whose San Miguel Corp. has been undertaking massive dredging operations in the rivers of Pampanga and Bulacan, for coordinated action. Pampanga PIO/Photos: Daniel Ombina
