Pesquera’s suggestion: Use small trucks to haul silt from dam

CEBU, Philippines — A legislator in Cebu City suggested that the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) should use smaller trucks to desilt the Buhisan Dam as opposed to bigger trucks that might have more difficult getting access to the dam.

Following the approval of the City Council to request the MCWD to fast-track desilting Buhisan Dam, MCWD chairman Joey Daluz III said that desilting is possible but will be a challenge and take time due to the lack of road access going to the dam.

Majority floor leader Jocelyn Pesquera agreed, but said MCWD could opt for smaller trucks to carry out the desilting.

"It's correct nga ang kuan (challenge) g’yud nato ana is ang pag-hauling. But pwede man g’yud na nga they can just utilize smaller trucks para maka-haul g’yud," said Pesquera.

Aside from this, Pesquera also suggested that the MCWD management bring up this concern to the farmers or anyone interested in taking away the excavated silt from the dam.

"Ang ila lang g’yud ana sa MCWD nga ilang gi desilt, dayon ila ng ipundo sa ilang kilid, mangita lang sila og space nga ilang kapundohan, and then they can just open it up to the public ug who are interested to haul it and get the garden soil for free kay kanang garden soil, mahal-mahal baya na," said Pesquera.

Pesquera said El Niño is a good time to desilt the Buhisan Dam as the operation will not be hampered by rains.

"Kay kung mag-ulan na, lisod kaayo na magtrabaho kung mag-ulan na," she said.

She also said the desilting is to prepare for the rainy season when enough water supply will be stored with the now higher-capacity dam.

Should the dam be desilted, Pesquera said it could widen the capacity from 6,000 to 10,000 cubic meters per day.

Aside from the request to fast-track the desilting, she also requested the MCWD to provide the City Council a copy of the development plan of the dam to submit updates on the desilting project. (CEBU NEWS)