• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
Kabankalan City Mayor Benjie Miranda clarified that the city government has no connection with the P14 million drainage rehabilitation project at the Hilabangan irrigation canal located at Brgy. Linao.
The issue reached the attention of Miranda after some concerned citizens sent him a photo of the river with a signage by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Concerned citizens said that the project was not properly implemented and that the contractor was not able to finish the rehabilitation.
Miranda clarified during the interview that the project by the DPWH was without coordination with the city government.
“I just want to be clear that the project was not of the city… The project was administered by the DPWH, and the city has no connection with it,” Miranda said.
The rehabilitation and major repair of the existing drainage structure at the irrigation canal was implemented by the DPWH Negros Occidental 3rd Engineering Office, which based on the signage installed in the area, had claimed the project as completed.
The P14,626,498.50 drainage project was constructed by Sant’yago Enterprises, which started the rehabilitation on February 24 and ended on July 30 this year.
After the issue circulated online and reached the attention of Miranda, Sant’yago Enterprises installed a new signage at the irrigation site, stating that the project was temporarily suspended in May due to heavy rains.
“This project was temporarily suspended since May 16, 2025 due to the torrential rain and the increase of water level that resulted in the suspension of the irrigation canal’s rehabilitation,” a translation of the signage stated.*
