The diluvian photos coming from Luzon down to northern Panay bring back some odd memories. Remember that in 2010 PNoy cavalierly cancelled the Laguna Lake Rehabilitation Project claiming that the massive dredging project was a joke. Frank Drilon was quick to second the motion. Several dailies in late September of that year reported how he lambasted the GMA administration for dredging-related corruption. Heres an excerpt from the September 23, 2010 issue of the Philippine Star: Drilon said based on the summary of releases from the Department of Public Works and Highways for 2010, the projects related to flood control, specifically the dredging, desilting and re-channeling of rivers. “We all know that dredging is a rich source of corruption because it is very difficult, if not impossible, to monitor accomplishments in dredging, he said. “You cannot measure how deep the dredging went.” See: philstar/headlines/614236/dpwh-released-p13-billion-dredging-one-week-drilon Less than two years later, the Philippine News Agency came out with this report: ILOILO CITY, Aug. 30 (PNA) -– A P32-million dredging machine of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to arrive in this city on Sept. 25 to augment the on-going dredging at the Iloilo River and its tributaries. DPWH regional director Edilberto Tayao confirmed that the new dredging machine or the Water Master will now be permanently assigned in Iloilo. Currently, dredging activities are undertaken near the mouth of the river and soon at the Iloilo Fishing Port area. The equipment being used, however, is not capable of entering creeks and other tributaries. Once the removal of silt at the Iloilo River is completed the Waster Master will proceed to Dugon and Calajunan creeks, which have been identified to have higher concentration of coliform and among the most polluted tributaries of the river. The dredging is part of the rehabilitation efforts of the Iloilo River spearheaded by the city government here and supported by Senator Franklin Drilon. Drilon earlier said that residents living along the tributaries must be relocated first to give way to the cleaning up of the said areas. (PNA) RMA/AJP/PGLENA/VLO See: positivenewsmedia/blog/2012/08/dpwhs-p32-m-dredger-to-augment-dredging-of-iloilo-river-tributaries/ What gives? [Photo credits: ABS-CBN (first); Mike Siscar (second and third); Dante E. Torcuator (last photo of flooding in Boracay)]
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 10:55:16 +0000