By Paulo Loreto Lim

The Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod recently passed a resolution requesting the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Bacolod City District Engineering Office head, Engr. Abraham Villareal, to disclose their drainage system plans for the city to the City Engineer’s Office.

The resolution, penned by Bacolod City Councilor Wilson Gamboa, Jr., cited RA 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, noting, national agencies must “conduct periodic consultations with appropriate local government units, nongovernmental and people’s organizations, and other concerned sectors of the community before any project or program is implemented.”

The policy goes on to express concern over the possibility of local residents being evicted and ensuring, if such an event were to take place, there are relocation areas available.

The resolution goes on to say, if such consultations are complied by, it will “ensure that [the] occurrence flooding in the City of Bacolod will ease or will be a thing of the past.”

Bacolod City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office cluster head, Executive Assistant Joemarie Vargas, blamed recent flooding, which affected several parts of the city earlier this month, on clogged drainage systems.

In a press conference, Vargas said two factors triggered the flooding, heavy rainfall and garbage./PLL, WDJ