• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Mayor Greg Gasataya has asserted that the Bacolod City diversion channel flood control project located along Burgos Street should be made operational immediately, prioritizing its functionality over the new design changes proposed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The mayor confirmed that the DPWH has requested a meeting regarding the infrastructure project that missed its expected completion date that was originally slated for the second week of December last year.
“What we are pushing for now is for it to be opened already, because we will not wait for the same problems from the past to recur,” Gasataya said.
Gasataya emphasized that any revisions to the plan must prioritize the immediate operational capability of the channel to ensure it can serve its primary purpose of diverting water from Mambuloc Creek.
He also asked the DPWH to allow local drainage systems to tap into the diversion channel, specifically citing that the drainages from SM and BRECO area should be permitted to connect to the main line.
“Our point is that if we wait for the mechanical implementation, it will take too much time. We cannot wait for that; our priority right now is for the diversion channel to become functional,” Gasataya added.
Gasataya said that the city cannot afford further prolonged delays, as the community remains vulnerable to weather disturbances while the project sits unfinished.
He said that the idea was initially presented by the DPWH during the visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the city on December 12 last year.*
