Concrete Seawall Protects Negros Occ. Coastal Community

Residents of Barangay Tuburan and neighboring coastal areas in E.B. Magalona, Negros Occidental, will now be protected from flooding and sudden water rise thanks to a concrete seawall built by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The PHP 30-million project, undertaken by the DPWH Negros Occidental 1st District Engineering Office, involved the construction of a 409-meter rubble concrete seawall along the natural shoreline.

DPWH Region 6 Director Sanny Boy O. Oropel said the flood control structure is crucial for protecting lives and property from flood risks, managing valuable water resources, providing environmental benefits, contributing to economic stability, adapting to climate change, and supporting integrated water resource management practices.

Oropel added that the project includes groynes constructed perpendicular to the seawall. These structures are designed to trap sediment, dissipate wave energy, and limit sediment movement away from the beach due to longshore drift.

“The four segments of 50-meter groynes, made of gabions, extend from the upper foreshore into the water, helping to interrupt water flow and retain sediments,” Oropel said.

The inclusion of groynes is expected to improve beach quality by retaining sediment, he added.

District Engineer Dene B. Baldonado Jr. noted that the flood control structure mitigates the risk of flooding during high tides and storm surges affecting coastal communities.

“This structure helps dissipate the energy of high waves during storm surges, directly contributing to disaster prevention in these coastal barangays,” Baldonado said.

He added that the structure also safeguards nearby properties and communities from inundation and disaster.

Flood control structures play a vital role in managing water flow and reducing the impacts of flooding on communities, ecosystems, and local economies. Through projects like these, DPWH aims to protect communities from the harmful effects of flooding and sudden water surges.