SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga”•The Netherlands, a country famous for its system of dikes and serious approach to flooding, has committed financial and technical assistance to solve the perennial problem of residents living along the coastal towns of Pampanga and Bulacan.
Netherlands Ambassador to the Philippines Marion Derckx reiterated the P75 million in aid and technical assistance during her recent visit to Malolos City, which local leaders and residents of Bulacan’s towns along the northern coast of Manila Bay attended.
The visit of the Dutch ambassador was also in connection with the Manila Bay Sustainable Development Plan with the Netherlands supporting the flooding issues of both Pampanga and Bulacan.
Under the plan, the 190-kilometer northern stretch of Manila Bay will be developed from Manila up to Bataan. The Philippine government will provide P250 million in counterpart funds.
Angel Cruz of the Alyansa ng mga Baybaying Bayan ng Bulacan at Pampanga said that with the help of the Dutch government, the province’s flooding problem will finally end.
Cruz, who attended the meeting with Derckx, suggested five measures to stop the areas’ annual flooding woes.
These include the elevation of the two kilometers road in Barangay San Gabriel in the town of Macabebe in Pampanga; the construction of more dikes in Barangay Consuelo, which form part of the Pampanga Delta dikes, also in Macabebe; the construction of revetments or retaining walls along Islang Pugad in Hagonoy, Bulacan; and the dredging of the Rio Grande de Pampanga.
According to Cruz, these projects were partially executed by the government and should be finished this year to prevent more flooding, specially during rainy season and high tide.
Floods in Central Luzon have caused billions in damages to both public and private properties, excluding human casualties, Cruz noted.