Pampanga River Delta ‘all clear’

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Some 642 illegal structures along the Pampanga River Delta have been demolished by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in a bid to clear and rehabilitate the vital waterway that drains water from Pampanga and neighboring provinces to the Manila de Bay.

The DPWH, in a report, said the demolished structures were homes of informal settlers and illegal fishpens that mushroomed along the stretch of the river delta.

“Some 562 of the structures we had removed were located in the villages of Bebe Anac, Bebe Matua, San Agustin, Sagrada, Puti, San Pedro, Bulacus, and Malauli in Masantol while the remainder is in barangay Consuelo in Macabebe town,” DPWH Regional Director Antonio Molano said.

It could be recalled that the DPWH told the Provincial Government in February this year that some P4.6- billion has been set aside for the Pampanga Delta Phase II project. The project will start from Barangay Bebe Anac in Masantol town going to the municipality of Apalit.

The DPWH said the Pampanga Delta Phase II will push through only when problem on encroachers and illegal settlers has been properly addressed.

The DPWH added that it will start when resettlement for the affected residents is established both in the provinces of Pampanga and Bulacan. Guilas said funds for this initiative will come from the World Bank.

Also, the Supreme Court ordered the demolition of illegal structures such as fishponds facilities and houses along the dike. The high court advocated for the cleaning of major waterways connected to Manila Bay in order to bring the old glory of latter while solving the flooding problem in various provinces. Pampanga River is a major waterway leading to the Manila Bay.

“Crucial to the rehabilitation of Manila Bay is the relocation of informal settlers that reside within the three meter radius of the bodies of water surrounding the area,” Molano added.

Meanwhile, DPWH is currently working on the relocation of 573 informal settler families in Nueva Ecija and Tarlac that are also within the Manila Bay area, according to reports.

“Demolition happens after the local government units have developed their Local Shelter Plans and identified their resettlement sites,” Molano explained.