Legazpi city: The city government has intensified desilting and dredging operations along major rivers to improve water flow and reduce flooding in about half of the city's 70 barangays ahead of the rainy season, Mayor Hisham Ismail said Wednesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, the ongoing flood mitigation initiative covers the Macabalo and Tibo rivers, where personnel have been removing accumulated silt, sand, gravel, and garbage to restore the waterways' capacity to carry stormwater. Desilting operations along the Macabalo River began in Barangays Tula-Tula, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, and 20, and are continuing toward the river mouth. The city government, with the assistance of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Bicol, removed a sandbar that had obstructed the river's natural flow.
"We can now see that water is flowing freely after we removed the sandbar at the mouth of the Macabalo River. Before, the water would stagnate, but now it can flow continuously toward the outlet," Ismail said in an interview.
Similar desilting and dredging activities are also underway along the Tibo River, covering Barangays Bitano, Orosite, and Pe±aranda up to the pumping station in Barangay San Roque. Ismail said thousands of tons of garbage, sand, gravel, and silt have already been removed from the two rivers, with the operations continuing until the outlets of both waterways are fully cleared.
Around 30 to 35 barangays, particularly those in urban and coastal areas, are expected to benefit from the project. The mayor said the city has been implementing river desilting and drainage declogging as part of its long-term flood mitigation program, noting that the efforts have already reduced flooding in several areas. "Before, even a small amount of rain would cause water to flow back into the interior barangays. Now that we have deepened the river, it will take longer for water levels to rise, helping reduce the risk of flooding," he said.
To complement the initiative, the city government has allocated PHP20,000 to each of its 70 barangays for drainage declogging and tree pruning activities. Barangays in flood-prone areas can use the fund for declogging operations, while those in southern villages that are less susceptible to flooding may instead use the funds for tree pruning to reduce the risk of fallen branches damaging power lines during storms.
The city has also deputized personnel in each barangay to enforce anti-littering regulations and issue citation tickets to individuals caught dumping garbage into rivers, which authorities said contributes to clogged waterways and flooding. Ismail said the Pawa River was not included in the current dredging operations because of an ongoing DPWH bridge construction project near its downstream section, where dredging could affect the bridge's foundation.
He asked the residents to help keep rivers free of waste, saying community cooperation is essential to sustaining the city's flood prevention efforts. "The city government cannot do this alone. We need the cooperation of every resident. Please do not throw garbage into our rivers because the waste will eventually come back to us during floods," Ismail said.
