DPWH ordered to act on Angeles erosion problems

ANGELES CITY, PHilippines  – President Arroyo has ordered Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane to personally look into the erosion problem at the Balibago creek which has already led to property losses worth P80 million and threatens to collapse an estimanted P500 million more worth of property in this city’s tourism district.

Malacañang’s External Affairs Secretary Edgardo Pamintuan told The Star the President conveyed to him her instructions to Ebdane after he informed her on Saturday afternoon about the worsening erosion problem amid frequent freak weather dumping unusually heavy volumes of water in this city and nearby areas.

Barangay Balibago chairman Tony Mamac said that the Balibago creek started to erode both its banks starting June 19 after a freak thunderstorm hit this city and the nearby Clark Freeport.

“The creek used to be only 10 feet wide, but its lower reaches near the tourism district is now as wide as 25 meters and even more,” he said. Erosion, he noted, had already collapsed some business and residential structures estimated to be worth P80 million into the creek. 

In a meeting on Saturday with Mayor Francis Nepomuceno, affected investors, including foreign expatriates whose endangered investments in hotels and restaurants near the creek stressed the need for immediate engineering intervention at the creek. At least one foreigner, who owns a bar which has been in the area since the era of the US Air Force Base at Clark, shed tears as he appealed for help.

Also endangered is the Systems Plus College whose two classrooms already collapsed into the creek, Mamac said.

Some of those affected have built structures to deflect the flow of water in the creek, triggering some conflict with those on the opposite bank, he said.

Mamac said at least four freak thunderstorms have affected the creek since last month. Each thunderstorm dumps tons of waters that further erode the creek.

The latest freak thunderstorm was noted on July 7 in the area of Clark. Hail accompanied it, particularly in Barangay Sapang Bato.