A groundbreaking Wednesday signaled the start of the repair and rehabilitation of Surigao City’s boulevard and wharf, which was severely damaged by Typhoon Odette in 2021.

Surigao City Vice Mayor Alfonso Casurra and Regional Director Liza Mazo of the Office of Civil Defense in the Caraga Region led the groundbreaking for the waterfront infrastructure, which has a total length of more than 1,000 square meters.

Expected to be completed this year, the project is funded by various government agencies, including the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, the Department of National Defense, the Department of Budget and Management, and the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“The project aims to address the damages inflicted by Typhoon Odette and uplift the city’s coastal infrastructure and initiated under the leadership of Mayor Pablo Yves Dumlao II,” the Surigao City Public Information Office said in a statement Wednesday.

It added that the repair and rehabilitation is a significant step towards revitalizing the waterfront infrastructure of Surigao City and a testament to proactive governance and strategic collaboration.

Surigao City was among the devastated areas in Surigao del Norte during the onslaught of Typhoon Odette in December 2021 destroyed infrastructures, agriculture products and fisheries. (PNA)