Candating flood control structure may reveal defects
Former Arayat Vice Mayor Sixto Mallari said the construction of the collapsed P91-million flood control in Barangay Candating, Arayat, Pampanga, may reveal structural defects.
The Candating slope protection caved in recently endangering the lives of residents in the area.
“Actually trabaho po ng national government ‘yun, makikita naman po yung kung pinutol eh. Pero paano po makikita pinutol? Nakabaon pa po eh. Bunutin muna. Diba ba? Para makita,” according to Mallari , who met with members of the Central Luzon Media Association Pampanga at the Hotel Grace Lane on Thursday.
Mallari added: “But, alam naman nga po natin sa gobyerno natin, ‘yung mga oposisyon kahit alam nila yung tama, gagawin pa rin mali. Pero kung talagang ginawa nila yun, makikita at makikita po yun.”
Engineering experts said longer sheet piles would be able to stand the water pressure coming from the Pampanga River. A portion of the slope protection in Barangay Candating, however, collapsed affecting 10 houses in the area.
The Barangay Candating slope protection with sheet piles that had been driven into the earth along the edges of the Pampanga River is supposed to protect the barangay. The sheet piles made of steel interlock with other sheets to form a continuous wall but the steel barrier was not able to retain the soil or prevent the scouring of water.
“Pagka binunot po yun, instead na, for example, yung size nga nasa 50 meters, eh kung ang lumabas is 20 meters, talagang pinutol. Diba? Eh mga bakal po yan eh,” Mallari said.
“Actually ‘yung pondong ‘yun, hiningi po ni mayora through a Senator at ‘yung pondo bumaba sa DPWH at hindi dumaan sa local government. So ang gawa po noon is national. So recently, although alam naman natin pa palapit po yung election, may kanya-kanya kuro-kuro, paninira doon, paninira dito, but definitely lilitaw naman po yung totoo.
“At the same time po, yung po kasing area na ‘yun, alam naman natin, yung Barangay Candating is part of the Pampanga River. Nakapasok po siya sa ring dike. Ang hirap magsisi pero ‘yung portion talaga po na ‘yun, yun po yung hangga’t hindi nagagawa yung channeling, kahit anong gawin nila doon, masisira at masasira. Kahit gaano katibay. Kasi po, imagine, doon po kasi ang tumbok ng tubig.
Mallari has called on the rechanneling of the Pampanga River to prevent the recurrence of the incident along the lateral areas of the Pampanga River. “May program po noon during my first term, magkakaroon ng channel, aalis po doon at lalawak. Kasi napakalaki po ng Pampanga River. Pero mas malaki po ‘yung budget na kailangan kaya hindi nagawa.”
“So, ako personally, hindi ako inhinyero, pero doon sa portion na ‘yun, kahit gaano katibay ‘yung gagawin nila, hangga’t hindi nagagawa po yung re-channeling, I don’t think so, kung tatagal po yun.”
Former Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo has echoed the views of Mallari noting there could be flaws in the actual construction of the slope protection in Barangay Candating.
Candating Barangay Captain Marly Pineda told iOrbitNews that more than 20 residential houses are in danger of being engulfed by the sink hole believed created by alleged liquefaction.
The project which was done by Eddmari Construction & Trading, involves the “Construction/Maintenance of Flood Mitigation Structures and Drainage Systems and Rehabilitation of Eroded Pampanga River Bank at Candating (Phase 2), Arayat, Pampanga.”
In a related development, residents in Barangay Cupang and Barangay Guemasan, were no longer allowed to pass through the Arnedo Dike, which also showed structural defects endangering residents in the area.
A 32-meter portion of the Arnedo Dike in the said villages suddenly showed cracks which is also expected to cave in at anytime similar to what happened in Barangay Candating.
Cupang Barangay Captain Rizal Lumbang said the roadway will be temporarily closed to protect residents in the two villages.