El Nido’s key infrastructure project due next year

The target completion date of El Nido’s ongoing sewage and solid waste treatment plant construction has been adjusted from end of this year to mid next year, El Nido mayor Nieves Rosento said.

The P279 million project is being jointly undertaken by the provincial government and the municipal government with the help of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).

El Nido will shoulder P206 million through a DBP loan and the provincial government’s counterpart is P73 million, which include the amount for the conduct of a feasibility study, engineering design, equipment utilization costs, and others.

“Pinapa-bilisan natin ang pag-trabaho kasi gusto natin na by December 2018 ay tapos na. Pero sabi ng contractor hindi kakayanin kaya baka sa middle of 2019 pa,” Mayor Rosento told Palawan News.

The sewage and solid waste treatment plant project will have a solar power pumping system, sewage collector tank, and sewerage system. It will cover the urban barangays of Maligaya, Masagana, Buena Suerte and Corong-Corong.

“Bago e-pump out ang tubig, ay dadaan muna sa central treatment sa Cabigting,” she further explained.

Vice Mayor Leonor Corral also told Palawan News that the project was designed to address the pollution that is threatening the town’s ecotourism.

“Ito ay nakikita nating solusyon para mapanatili ang kalinisan ng ating karagatan, kasi treatment ito ng waste water at solid waste,” she said

The process includes the collection of sewage and stormwater, which are conveyed in separate sewer lines. Storm waters are collected through a storm sewer network and discharged into Bacuit Bay with desilting as a sole treatment before discharge, while sewage is collected through a sanitary sewer and conveyed into the sewage treatment plant for further treatment through several solarpowered lifts stations.

Engr. Dex Juan, engineer II of the municipal engineering office explained that storm drainage canals are similar to that of a rainwater catchment or collection during the heavy downpour of rains.

“Binabaha kasi ang El Nido kaya napakahalaga dito ang storm drainage canals,” he explained.

He also said there are several constructions of storm drainage canals that the LGU is currently implementing as priority projects.

Among these is the construction of storm drainage canal in Maligaya to Buena Suerte that is included in the 2018 Annual Budget-Regular Fund, specifically under the 20 percent development fund.

Mayor Rosento said P16 million has been allocated from the local funds for the construction of storm drainage.

“Problema namin ay tubig baha, kaya e-capture pababa sa settling pond, para ang tubig ay hindi didiretso sa dagat, may settling muna,” she explained.