• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Bacolod Lone District Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez is pushing for a multi-sectoral, data driven approach to address flooding in Bacolod City.
Benitez and Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya met on October 20 with officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways, led by Undersecretary Charles Calima, to identify short-term and long-term strategies to prevent flooding incidents in the future.
He described the meeting, which was also attended by barangay captains of Bacolod City, and a former DPWH regional director for Western Visayas, Sannyboy Oropel, as part of their alignment efforts for the upcoming Bacolod Flood Control Summit.
In his opening remarks also during the flood pre-summit meeting held at the L’ Fisher Hotel in Bacolod City, Benitez emphasized that the issue is not merely environmental but deeply connected to governance, planning, and community participation.
“Flooding is a global crisis, and we must own the solution,” the Bacolod solon said, as he urged all sectors to act with urgency and unity.
During the discussions, agencies and stakeholders identified key problem areas contributing to Bacolod City’s flooding.
Those issues will be the focus of detailed deliberation and solution formulation during the upcoming Flood Summit, including siltation and sediment buildup in the city’s major rivers causing reduced water flow, overgrown vegetation along riverbanks and within existing flood control structures such as dikes, encroachments and illegal structures within the 3-meter easement zones along rivers and creeks, in violation of PD No. 1067 (Water Code of the Philippines);
Informal settlements located beneath bridges and along waterways, which obstruct drainage systems, weak enforcement of environmental and zoning laws, including RA 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act) and related local ordinances; unregulated small-scale quarry operations contributing to soil erosion and river obstruction; lack of updated river profiling and hydrological data necessary for infrastructure design and flood mapping; absence of a unified Flood Control Master Plan integrating DPWH and local projects, and the need for continuous information; education, and cleanup campaigns led by barangays and community groups under RA 7160 (Local Government Code).
Benitez, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Councilor Caesar Distrito, also lauded the ongoing efforts of the City government led by Gasataya, and barangay officials, who have initiated river and drainage clearing operations since July 1 in partnership with DPWH.
“Knowing the problem is one thing; doing something about it is another,” he said, adding that the pre-flood summit gave them a clear picture of what they will be facing.
The next step is to act decisively and together, guided by data, discipline, and the spirit of Bayanihan, Benitez said.
The pre-flood summit concluded with a strong consensus among all agencies and stakeholders to finalize technical studies, policy recommendations, and coordinated response measures for presentation and adoption in the flood summit proper.*
