Concrete seawalls worth P107 million constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have protected coastal communities in the cities of Cadiz and San Carlos in northern Negros Occidental.

The DPWH-Western Visayas reported the completion of the seawall in Cadiz yesterday, while the structure in San Carlos in the first week of July.

In Cadiz, the P87-million structure along the shoreline of Barangay Zone 1 spans 835.57 lineal meters of three-meter high seawall with a four-meter wide reinforced concrete slab and 0.5-meter high mattress serving as wave deflectors.

“As a barrier between the sea and the land, it will absorb and reflect wave energy to prevent further erosion of the coastline. The structure will serve as protection against erosion and flooding, enhance safety and resilience, and offer environmental protection and safety,” DPWH-Western Visayas Regional Director Sanny Boy Oropel said in a statement.

Negros Occidental 1st District Engineer Dene Baldonado, Jr. said fisherfolk can use the body of water separated by the seawall from the main seawater as an area to anchor their boats.

“This separator offers a safer venue for them to dock their boats during high tides or typhoons. It will also minimize the impact of water current from the sea to the communities,” he added.

In San Carlos, a P20-million seawall was constructed along the coastal community in Barangay 6, which is vulnerable to flooding and seawater overflow.

The 100-meter slope protection structure and a 210-meter wave deflector prevent erosion and minimize the impact of water currents.

“The structure serves as a significant shield against untoward circumstances,” Negros Occidental Sub District Engineering Office officer-in-charge Juan Alfonso Jorbina, Sr. said.  (PNA)