CABANATUAN CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed a 775.2-linear meter double-berm revetment along Peñaranda River in Nueva Ecija.
The flood control project, located in Barangay Sto. Tomas, Peñaranda, cost a total of P141.84 million.
DPWH Nueva Ecija 2nd District Engineer Robert Jay Panaligan said the newly built flood protection wall is supported by steel sheet pile foundations and features cross drains and a 10-meter-wide road dike.
It connects to existing flood defenses to enhance the protection of lives and properties near the waterway.
“The initiative is also expected to improve accessibility within the area through a dedicated road dike, which can serve as an alternate route during emergencies and flooding,” Panaligan shared.
Meanwhile, OIC-Assistant District Engineer Leonora Cruz mentioned that the structure reduces strain on the river’s natural banks by allowing excess water to flow toward Pampanga River, which has a larger capacity to accommodate and disperse floodwaters.
The project, funded under the 2024 national budget, is part of a series of flood control measures that the agency has implemented along the waterway to protect communities, farmlands, and livelihoods in the area. (CLJD/RPQ, PIA Region 3-Nueva Ecija)