PGMA releases P50 M for Mindanao River Basin rehab’s master plan

ALABEL, Sarangani – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo handed over Tuesday a 50 million check to the Mindanao River Basin Task Force for the completion of the comprehensive master plan that will thoroughly control the recurrent flooding in Cotabato City, Maguindanao and neighboring areas in Region 12.
Task Force Chairman Bishop Orlando Quevedo received the check during the joint meeting of the Cabinet and Presidential Task Force Mindanao River Basin Rehabilitation and Development here.

According to Bishop Quevedo, the President gave “short and long term responses” to the problem.

The short-term solution is the continuous dredging of the silted Rio Grande de Mindnaao (Pulangi) and re-channelling of Simuay River, all in Maguindanao, while the long-term solution entails a master plan that includes the establishment of a hydropower system and flood control structures.

In his briefing, Bishop Quevedo said the recent typhoon Jolina affected nearly 200 thousand families in Cotabato City and provinces of Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Sarangani. As of August 20, this year, damage on agricultural products and livestock reached P824 million while destruction to agriculture infrastructure totaled P1.2 billion.

Quevedo lauded the immediate response of the President but appeals to all government agencies and officials involved in the implementation, “we all need a sense of urgency and drive of immediate action.”

Earlier, the Task Force has laid down nine priority flood control rehabilitation projects in the Mindanao River Basin. These are the dredging of the Mindanao River Phase 1 and 2, dredging of the Tamontaka River, Simuay Flood Control Project, construction of access road from Quirino Bridge to Delta Bridge, repair and rehabilitation of Ala River Flood Control Project, channelization and bank protection and the Sultan Barongis Flood Control Project.

The Mindanao River Basin project covers 20,398 square kilometers which includes the marshlands of Liguasan, Libungan, and Ebpanan as well as the provinces of Bukidnon, Maguindanao, North Cotabato and South Cotabato.

ARMM Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan, also the Co-Chairman of Mindanao River Basin Task Force, extends gratitude to President Arroyo for the uninterrupted assistance to flooding problem in Southern Mindanao particularly to areas of the autonomous region.

“The regional government is helpful to the Task Force and exhausting all means to fully implement the necessary schemes to finally resolve the flooding, which brought too much destruction not only to our vital structures and livelihood but to several lives,” Ampatuan said. (BPI-ARMM*)