LEGAZPI CITY (June 29, 2009) - - THE FLOOD CONTROL COMPONENT of the hugely budgeted and biggest dam structure being constructed in Bikol under the Bicol River Basin and Watershed Management Project (BRBWMP) has been left-out in the current construction of the dam located in Barangay Malaguico, Sipocot, Camarines Sur, experts at the planning and design of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office here had revealed.
The dam is a "pump-priming project" of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo promised to some 3,000 farmers in the rice granary towns of Cabusao and Libmanan, Cam. Sur; the new dam is projected to irrigate some 4,000 hectares of ricelands.
The President's son, Cam. Sur, First district Congressman Dato Arroyo, had promised the dam project to farmer constituents during the last elections, to improve the problematic irrigation services in these granary towns.
The Malaguico Dam costing some P 1.9 Billion, or known as, "the Libmanan-Cabusao Dam Project" (LCDP) being implemented by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), has been won in the bidding by A.M. Oreta Co. Inc., a 'triple A' category construction firm, an NIA press release stated.
But DPWH sources here revealed that the contractor is doing the dam component without the flood control structures that will prevent a possible "back-water effect" on the upstream of the Sipocot River, once the water is impounded in the dam.
Reportedly, Engineers Briagas and Edgar Azurin from the DPWH central office, Bureau of Design under director Danny Manalang, were sent to coordinate with NIA engineers on the request of NIA Bicol director William Ragodon to do a study of the upstream flood control plan of the dam, late in May this year.
A ranking official of the DPWH commented "that NIA Central office made detail studies of the supposed flood control component, but a request for the DPWH to do the plans for the flood control structures are only made now, when the dam component had already been [won in the bidding]."
He stressed that without the diversion channels in the flood control component, an imminent overflow of water in the upstream of Sipocot River may occur that could submerge eight villages in Sipocot and two or more barangays in adjacent town of Lupi, putting thousands of river bank residents now at risk.
Meanwhile, BRBWMP Project Management Office (PMO) technical service head, Engineer Peter Prestado had confirmed that funds for the flood control component is not included in the P 1.9 - Billion cost of the Malaguico Dam Project.
Prestado said the P 1.9 - Billion will consist of P 727 - Million as actual cost of the dam; P 300 - Million for the construction of a 10.8 - km. service - road; another P 300 Million for the upgrading of existing irrigation structures, link-canals and road right of way payments; and some P 600 - Million for "indirect cost" of the project.
Sources at the DENR regional office bared that despite the dam project having been won in bidding, it was only recently that an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) was secured by NIA; in fact, a notice to proceed on the contractor was allegedly delayed by NIA due to the absence of the ECC. (SONNY SALES)