(I LOVE TACLOBAN)
TACLOBAN CITY– The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said that it will check the condition of the rusty and damaged railings of the tide embankment located in this city.
In a statement, Adelina Gomez, officer-in-charge of the construction division of the DPWH-8, said that considering that the railings were made of galvanized iron pipes and exposed to elements, it is not surprising that they would turn rusty.
Gomez said that their office has already requested for funding for the maintenance of the 27.3 kms tide embankment.
The Leyte tide embankment is a national coastal infrastructure that is expected to protect the coastal areas of Tacloban City and the towns of Palo, and Tanauan which were among the worst affected by Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ in 2013.
The completed section of the Leyte tide embankment project is near the boundary of Tacloban City and Palo.
After eight years of construction, the structure designed to shield coastal communities from big waves is now 59 percent complete.
Last year, of the estimated P2.14 billion required budget, some P8.8 billion have been released from 2016 to 2023 for the 19-kilometer (km) flood mitigation structure and a 5.43-km backwater dike.
As of the end of September last year, the DPWH-8 reported completion of 17.67 kms of the 38.12 kms of structures, while 6.81 kms are now ongoing and 13.64 kms have not yet started.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
