Pampanga folk ask DPWH not to cancel JICA grant for Arayat rehab

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga , Philippines  – Thousands of residents from Arayat and its nearby towns appealed to Secretary Rogelio Singson on Friday to reconsider the cancellation of the P77 million Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) loan intended for the slope protection rehabilitation project in Arayat.

Gov. Lilia Pineda, along with the members of the Pampanga Mayor’s League, also appealed to Singson not to cancel the loan.

Pineda said thousands of residents living in several villages in Arayat town along Arnedo dike – the supposed first line of defense against the overflow of Pampanga River – are in constant danger should the scouring of the Arnedo dike at the Guemasan-Cupang portion continue.

She said if the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) takes time to re-assess the danger, she would urge the department to study a more permanent and comprehensive solution to prevent the continuing collapse of the dike.

Upon consultation with the people, local officials and the supervising engineer of the DPWH, Pineda said they have assessed that the last solution to the erosion of the dike is to open the original water channel, which is heavily silted due to continuous land accretion at that side of the river.

Jose Datu, district engineer of Pampanga, said DPWH started the excavation of the said water channel a few years back but it was stopped due to lack of funds as only P3 million was allotted to the said project.

Pineda said the fund went to waste, forcing her to ask the DPWH to work for the reprogramming of the old river-channel and come up with a more comprehensive design and master plan as soon as possible.

She said the comprehensive program of the DPWH would be the basis of the local officials in lobbying for the release of the intended budget.