The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Monday said it has prepositioned its heavy equipment to hasten the dredging and desilting of creeks in Ilocos Norte in anticipation of heavy rains.
This was after the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Ilocos Norte approved Provincial Resolution No. 2025-05-447, endorsing DPWH Region 1 for the dredging of the Galpac Creek in Paoay and the desilting of Daurao Creek, a major waterway in this city that exits into the sea.
Engineer Kim Angelo Soy, a dredge master of DPWH Region 1, said the project has been a longtime request of the local government units of Laoag and Paoay to declog waterways and restore their original depth to prevent overflow that affects nearby communities during the rainy season.
“Rest assured that we will do our best to implement the project the soonest time possible,” Soy said in a media interview.
According to the plan, the DPWH will dredge Galpac Creek starting from Barangay Masintoc to Paratong, an approximately 12-kilometer stretch, while the desilting of the Daurao Creek will start from Barangay Caaoacan to Casili, covering around 10 kilometers.
Disposal of the aggregates will be coordinated with the local government units to backfill low-lying areas, the DPWH said.
Provincial board member Donald Nicolas said there are three major waterways in Laoag that need to be dredged to induce waterflow into the sea and reduce riverbank erosion and flooding in the city proper.
“We really need to speed up and ensure the smooth flow of the waterways that contributes to heavy flooding, particularly in the city proper,” Nicolas said, adding that overgrowth of waterlilies in these areas is also one of the causes of flooding.
The latest geohazard study conducted by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) cited the need to dredge rivers and creeks in Ilocos Norte to prevent flooding.
The MGB also recommended that settlement should be avoided at the foot of mountains, areas immediately adjacent to river channels, near canyons, and gullies transecting upland areas. (PNA)
