ANGELES CITY- As Supertyphoon Yolanda neared the country’s eastern seaboard, residents of Barangay Sapang Bato here expressed serious concern over the threat of erosion that could again be triggered by strong currents from areas covered by the $400-million project of the Korean firm Donggwang across from the Abacan River.
“Several houses and farms were eroded into the Abacan River during the last Typhoon Santi because of strong currents that pumped out from a new canal built by Donggwang,” said a resident who asked not to be named as he was employed as manual worker at the Clark Development Corp. (CDC).
He said the affected area was not far from the residence of the family of the well-known Fil-Am rapper Apl.de.Ap who hails from the barangay. During the last typhoon, the canal reportedly collected waters from the huge area being developed by the Korean firm for a golf course that included hills which were balded for some infrastructure.
“The huge water volume collected pumps out with some force into the Abacan River and hits the other side of the bank which eroded,” said another resident who is seeking employment at Clark. At least seven houses and wide areas of farmlands were reported to have vanished into the raging waters of the Abacan at the height of Typhoon Santi.
“It was horrible because it happened at night and all was very dark. We just heard people yelling a warning for us to move farther from the river,” the source said. Donggwang Construction Co. Ltd. is building here a $200-million golfers’ clubhouse and other projects covering 304 hectares within this freeport, on the side of the Abacan River across from Sapang Bato.
The golf club is part of its $400-million tourism estate that includes leisure and recreation facilities. Donggwang expects to complete the world class estate in 2016. While Supertyphoon Yolanda was not expected to directly hit Central Luzon, the experience of Sapang Bato folk during the last typhoon has made them wary of the existence of the new Donggwang canal.
“It’s like the barrel of a rifle pointed at us, ready to be fired then the next heavy rains come,” said the residents.
The residents stressed, however, that they were not against the project, but appealed to Dongggwang’s engineers to re-study their canal system to spare them from any threat. The residents said they are looking forward for more employment as soon as the Donggwang projects are finished.
The projects cover a 36-hole golf course, clubhouse, 330-room condominium, water park, spa and gymnasium, eco park, business center, international school, golf academy and driving range, medical clinic and drug store, hotel, casino, 500-unit villa, and shopping arcade.
The CDC said the completed projects could employ hundreds of local folk.
