Capiz breaks ground on PHP3.7-billion floodway project

By Felipe V. Celino

PANAY, Capiz – Capiz Gov. Fredenil Oto Castro led the groundbreaking ceremony Friday morning, Aug. 15, for the province’s first-ever floodway project worth PHP3.78 billion, located along the barangays of Cogon and Jamul-awon in this town.

Dubbed the “Cogon and Jamul-awon Floodway,” the project is multi-funded, sourced from various national allocations to realize what Castro described as a long-awaited solution to Capiz’s chronic flooding problem.

The governor said the project has an initial allocation of PHP150 million, with another PHP1 billion set for release next year.

An additional PHP1 billion will be released the following year until the project’s completion.

Castro emphasized that flooding in Capiz results in extensive damage to life, property, infrastructure, and the economy.

He said floods destroy homes, roads, bridges, and agricultural land, causing major financial losses and environmental damage, including erosion, landslides, and pollution.

“It’s a historic day for Panay and the entire province of Capiz because our long-awaited dream to resolve flooding problems is finally starting to come true,” Castro said.

He described the Cogon–Jamul-awon Floodway Project as one of the most significant and largest infrastructure efforts for the province.

Meanwhile, Castro announced that the Panay River Basin Integrated Development Project (PRBIDP) will also break ground in the coming days.

The PRBIDP is one of four major dam projects prioritized by the Marcos administration for completion by 2028.

The multi-billion-peso project aims to strengthen water resource management, flood control, and agricultural productivity.

It involves the construction of dams, reservoirs, and irrigation systems to benefit several municipalities in Capiz and Iloilo provinces.

The project covers the Capiz towns of Maayon, Panay, Panit-an, Pontevedra, Roxas City, Cuartero, Dao, Dumalag, Dumarao, Jamindan, Mambusao, Sigma, and Tapaz, as well as the Iloilo towns of Bingawan, Lemery, and San Rafael.

Among those present during the event were Capiz 1st District Rep. Howard Guintu, provincial officials, Panay Mayor Jonathan Sonny Besa, Capiz 1st District Engineer Cecil Lawrence Cruz, and project contractor Engr. Felix Goria.