• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Bacolod City government has expanded its fleet of heavy machinery with a P45.4-million acquisition for the rehabilitation of rivers in the city.
Mayor Greg Gasataya led the blessing of the new equipment, which includes a long reach excavator, and 6 wheeler dump truck.
The city is currently awaiting the arrival of a mini-amphibious excavator, which will be deployed to areas like Purok Carvic in Barangay Mandalagan and utilized to access narrow or confined areas that are otherwise difficult to reach.
According to the Mayor, the purchase is intended to prevent delays in the city’s ongoing dredging operations and ensure a more consistent maintenance schedule for major rivers and creeks.
The city’s engineering priority is the desilting of the Mandalagan River in Barangay 1, a two-month project aiming to remove 9,000 cubic meters of silt, before moving operations to the Banago and Magsungay Rivers.
Operations at Mambuloc Creek are managed together with the Department of Public Works and Highways.
For the garbage problems, Gasataya said that the Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office will be installing trash traps and strengthening barangay-level enforcement.*
