DPWH orders widening of Mananga River

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has ordered the widening of the Mananga River and other waterways in Cebu to increase their capacity and reduce flood risk in the province.

“Let’s help the local government to fence downstream, and then go upstream. We can already recover the river, that is the key now. The priority is to recover the river because if we can widen the river and intervene, then we have more capacity,” Public Works Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon said in a statement on Tuesday.

This came after the agency ordered the no-build and fencing zone around Mananga River and other waterways in Cebu, it said, noting that the agency will also ramp up dredging and cleaning in all waterways to mitigate flooding in the province.

“One of the major priorities of the President is to fix the flood management situation in Cebu because we already saw the effects of the recent flooding and we cannot allow that to happen again,” he said.

The agency earlier formed a new task force to conduct clearing and cleaning efforts in all waterways in the country to help prevent flooding. — Ashley Erika O. Jose