TACLOBAN CITY, June 18 (PNA) — The national government will proceed with the construction of PHP7.5 billion 27-kilometer embankments from this city to Tanauan town to shield coastal communities from rising seas, an official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) confirmed.
DPWH Regional Director Rolando M. Asis said detailed engineering is now halfway done and it is being targeted for bidding in October this year. Actual construction will commence within the last part of 2015.
“Our office with the assistance of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have been rushing up pre-bid activities, heeding President Aquino’s order to start the project within this year since the budget is already there,” Asis said.
The two to three meters wide embankment, which is about four meters elevated above sea level, will start from Balyuan area in Tacloban. It will stretch up to coastal communities in Palo and Tanauan towns, according to the DPWH official.
The PHP7.5 billion budget is just initial and it may vary after completion of final design, according to Asis.
On November 7, 2014, President Aquino announced the dike project during his visit to Guiuan town. It is estimated to protect 27,000 square meters of residential and commercial areas with about 29,000 structures from big waves.
Asis explained that the project will rise along shorelines and it will not require the demolition of houses since the structure is within the no build zones.
Embankments are considered as another line of defence in coastal communities in addition to mangroves and beach forest.
The DPWH asked the support of local government units to help affected communities understand the long-term benefit of these dike projects.
The government tagged the 27-kilometer shoreline as priority for embankment where thousands of people perished when storm surges whipped by super typhoon Yolanda’s strong winds battered coastal communities, killing thousands. (PNA)