Heavy rains damage flood control project in Leyte town
TACLOBAN CITY—A section of a flood control structure in Matag-ob town in Leyte province was damaged on Monday amid heavy rains brought by a low pressure area, raising concerns over the project’s quality.
Matag-ob Mayor Bernardino Tacoy said the flood control facility, located at Barangay Riverside in the town center, was intended to protect residents from flooding but failed after only a few months in operation.
“When it was constructed beginning March of this year, we were not consulted by the [engineering] district, as if the local government did not exist,” Tacoy told reporters, referring to the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Fourth District Engineering Office in Leyte. The district covers the towns of Matag-ob, Albuera, Isabel, Palompon, Kananga and Merida, and Ormoc City.
The P96-million project, stretching over 330 meters, was inaugurated in March. But Tacoy said a portion collapsed during this week’s downpour, causing floodwaters to spill into Riverside and reach Talisay, a neighboring village that has no protective wall.
“For us, it is not serving its purpose,” he said, stressing that the damage highlighted the need for proper coordination between local and national agencies during infrastructure planning and implementation.
