Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr.
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Seeking “long-term solution rather than band-aid measures” to destructive flooding in the region, Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. filed a bill seeking to create the Central Luzon River Control System Commission.
Stressing the urgency of his bill, Gonzales said: “Now more than ever is the time for us to act decisively and quickly. We need to save our people from repeatedly suffering because of typhoons that usually visit our country. Let us provide our people with peace of mind. We cannot solely rely on the resiliency of the Filipino, as it is our bounden duty to seek solutions to improve the plight of our people from natural disasters.”
House Bill No. 915 proposed the CLRCSC “to handle policy formation, feasibility studies, planning and implementation of related projects that would effectively mitigate flooding problems in Central Luzon on a long-term basis.”
The commission shall cover the provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales.
“Malaki ang papel na ginagampanan ng Central Luzon sa agrikultura ng ating bansa, lalo na sa usapin patungkol sa palay. Kung hindi natin bibigyang pansin ang banta ng climate change sa nasabing rehiyon, malalagay sa panganib ang food security ng ating bansa,” Gonzales said.
“Ika nga, ang sakit ng kalingkingan ay sakit ng buong katawan. Kung kaya naman dapat na pagtuunan ang mga flood management system sa Central Luzon at maglatag ng pangmatagalang solusyon sa problema ng pagbaha,” he stressed.
Recently, the House deputy speaker also filed a House resolution calling for a “comprehensive and substantial inquiry on the status of all flood control projects” implemented in Central and Northern Luzon.
He lamented that the plans and programs already undertaken by the national and local government to mitigate the effects of flooding in Central Luzon have been “very slow in their implementation” and “had from little to no effect” with the widespread inundation Typhoon Ulysses caused in the region “where billions of pesos in the agricultural sector were put to waste.”
Gonzales’ resolution also recommended the development of a water impounding system to store rainwater so that it can be utilized by the people in times of water shortage or El Nino seasons.
“Tuwing bumabagyo at sa panahon ng tagtuyot, damang-dama ng mga magsasaka ang epekto nito sa kanilang kabuhayan. Kung makakagawa tayo ng mga water impounding system para makaipon ng tubig-ulan, pwedeng magamit ito ng iba’t ibang mga kabahayan, pati na rin sa pagpapatubig ng ating mga sakahan,” he explained.
“Makakatulong din ang nasabing sistema paramasiguro ang kaligtasan ng mga kababayan natin pati na rin ang kanilang mga ari-arian, dahil mababawasan ang pagguho ng mga kalupaan at ang mga aksidenteng maidudulot nito,” added Gonzales. — With media reports
