Guv ‘confident’ in strength of Iloilo megadam project

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

 

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said on Thursday that he was confident that the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project (JRMP) may be able to withstand strong flooding.

Defensor was responding to calls for reassurance after the massive flooding in northern parts of the country in the past few weeks.

Hydrogeological expert Engr. Edgar Mana-ay wrote in his column in Daily Guardian last Nov. 23, 2020 that the Iloilo provincial government must check if the megadam can withstand at least a “40-year” flooding.

Geological experts measure flood predictions based on their occurrences per year.

Mana-ay referred to the flooding in the northeastern part of the country, particularly in Cagayan and Isabela provinces, which were heavily affected by water released from the Magat Dam at the height of Typhoon Ulysses, which ravaged several parts of the country from Nov. 11 to 14.

Board Member Matt Palabrica (3rd district) told Daily Guardian via phone interview on Monday that he would welcome a public hearing on the integrity of the dam system.

A major part of the project, which is composed of three dams and one major canal, is located in Calinog, which is within Palabrica’s district.

The Jalaur River system also traverses through Pototan town, also within his district.

Board Member Domingo Oso Jr. (4th district) told Daily Guardian via text message on Thursday that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan has already brought up the matter with the Provincial Engineering Office.

Oso added that they will be consistently following up with the Engineering Office, expressing concern that it may “cause a huge problem” when a disaster comes.

The Jalaur River also stretches to parts of Oso’s district, in the towns of Barotac Nuevo, Dingle, Dumangas, Dueñas and San Enrique, as well as Passi City.

Daily Guardian also reached out to Board Member Jason Gonzales (3rd district) for his response, but has yet to reply as of this writing.

In a press conference on Thursday, Defensor said he was “confident” in the engineering design of the JRMP.

“We are confident in the engineering design of that. That pertains to dam management, and dam management refers to the collection of water so you can use it, but the release back to the rivers is subject to regulation. That’s what we need to consider, the management of the dam, and the management of the release of the water especially during calamities, and we are confident that will be done well. That is a big dam, and it will be able to carry flooding,” Defensor said in a press conference.

The governor added that he will be briefed by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), the lead agency implementing the JRMP Stage II, on the status of the developments on the system next week.

Steve Cordero of the NIA, the project’s spokesperson, stated last week that the project is 39.43 percent done, with full completion expected in 2023.