Erosion threatens river dike in Iloilo town

READY TO FALL A house in Barangay Nahapay, Guimbal, Iloilo, is in danger of collapsing as slope protection along the riverbank was eroded during the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm “Opong.” —SCREENSHOT FROM RMN ILOILO

ILOILO CITY—Anxiety lingered in Barangay Nahapay of Guimbal town in Iloilo, even after Severe Tropical Storm “Opong” had left the country, as residents fear that a P18.5-million slope protection project along their riverbank may collapse.

Villagers first alerted the municipal government on Sept. 12, when some 30 meters of the structure started eroding. Days later, rains from the southwest monsoon, intensified by Opong, deepened the damage.

“The cracks keep spreading, and we feel unsafe because the concrete continues to give way even without rain,” a resident told reporters.

The 43-meter-long structure, completed in May 2016 and turned over to the local government the following year, has shown cracks since 2024, according to residents.

Residents, who requested not to be named, said the municipal engineer’s office has patched the dike at least three times using local funds, fueling doubts about the project’s quality.

To review

Rep. Janette Garin (Iloilo, 1st District) vowed to push for a review and determine if the project falls under Project NOAH, the science-based disaster risk reduction program set up during the administration of the late President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III, unfunded by former President Rodrigo Duterte and is now managed by the University of the Philippines.

“I will make representation so that funding for rehabilitation can be prioritized since budget deliberations are ongoing,” Garin said over the weekend.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Iloilo First District Engineering Office estimated that P8 million to P10 million is needed for full rehabilitation, but promised preventive measures to avert further collapse.

Roprim Construction, which built the project, has distanced itself, citing the expiry of the government’s five-year warranty period.

“We complied with DPWH standards, and the structure has stood for nearly 10 years, enduring multiple storms and floods,” said company manager Ron Primaylon when sought for comment.

For now, both DPWH and the Guimbal Municipal Engineer’s Office said they are coordinating on stopgap measures while waiting for rehabilitation funds.