Government oks P3.5-B flood control

BALANGA CITY, Bataan – The flood-prone town of Hermosa, this province, will be relieved of its century-old flood problem with its inclusion in the administration’s massive infrastructure program for this year.

Hermosa Mayor Efren J. Cruz said President Arroyo already gave the go-signal for the budgetary release this year of P3.5 billion for the flood control project in Hermosa-Dinalupihan-Lubao, Pampanga area. He said the amount has been included in the General Appropriations Act of 2006 .

Cruz said the municipal government of Hermosa had been very grateful to Rep. Antonino P. Roman, Jr. who did a wonderful job in the inclusion of the town from the flood control project which may finally end the suffering of the residents from perennial flooding. Hermosa is lying below sea level.

The flood control project, according to a former government bank officer, is expected to start in the second half of this year after the completion of a feasibility study conducted by foreign experts of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Hermosa residents specially in the villages within the periphery of the town proper had to use banca and improvised watercraft in transporting goods, hospital patients, students and traders during the onset of rainy season and high tide since all roads were flooded up to 20 feet high.

Engineer Wilfredo Mallari, district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), said as programmed , the project will extend from Dinalupihan town all the way to Orani Channel. Orani town was the receiving end of flood waters from Dinalupihan and Hermosa towns.

When completed , the flood control project will give Hermosa an edge over other Bataan towns because of its ideal location as alternative site of information technology as a Special Economic Zone next to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

"Well, I think Hermosa is a town to reckon with in this part of Western Central Luzon growth area and it is now fast becoming a candidate for cityhood", Cruz said.