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Ilocos Norte’s provincial government is lending its backhoes, excavators and other dredging equipment to towns and villages to hasten the desilting of rivers and creeks in anticipation of heavy rainfall that could trigger flash floods in low-lying areas.
Marcel Tabije , local disaster risk reduction and management officer of Ilocos Norte, said that the desilting of waterways is ongoing in the flood-prone areas of Paoay, Pinili, Badoc, and Pagudpud towns.
“ We are declogging these waterways in anticipation of heavy rains and bring back their depth to prevent overflow that inundates nearby communities ,” Tabije said.
Also, critical infrastructures, such as roads and bridges, flood control structures, and irrigation systems have also been monitored since the onset of the rainy season.
The latest geohazard study conducted by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) cited the need to dredge rivers and creeks in the province to induce water flow into the sea and reduce riverbank erosion and flooding.