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By
Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
Batac City—A detour road of an ongoing bridge construction in this
city was closed after heavy rains caused a river to overflow.
According
to the Ilocos Norte second engineering district of the Department of Public
Works and Highways (DPWH), the detour bridges located along the national
highway in Barangay Tabug and Nangnuangan (Baligat-Dariwdiw) became impassable
to all kinds of vehicles due to overflow.
As
per advisory from the Batac City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
(CDRRMC), motorists bound to the northern and eastern parts of Ilocos Norte were
advised take the Pias, Currimao-Balacad road instead.
Intense
rain brought about by the southwest monsoon for the past few days has flooded
water canals and several farmlands in Batac City, stretching down to its
neighbouring Paoay town as catch basis because the Quiaoit river in Batac City
overflowed again.
To
date, the DPWH have yet to finish the on-going construction of the P16-million
rehabilitation of the Nagbibingcaan Bridge, rehabilitation of the Tabug Bridge
worth P11 million; and construction of canals on the Manila North Road from
Badoc to San Nicolas town worth P9-million budget.
According
to District Engineer Mathias Malenab of the Ilocos Norte second engineering
district, the funds for the said projects were only released on the second
quarter of this year, hence, the project implementation commenced at the onset
of rainy season.
“We
are doing everything we can to act on this situation,” Mr. Malenab said in a
radio interview while conducting inspection at the project site.
Meanwhile,
the local chief executives in most part of Ilocos Norte's second district
covering Batac, Paoay, Badoc, Pinili, Currimao, Dingras, and Marcos suspended
classes in both primary and secondary schools while its neighboring Nueva Era
town has no classes in elementary level and at the Ugis National High School
only.
For
the province's first district, only Vintar Mayor Jose Foronda cancelled classes
for both primary and secondary schools in Vintar as the water level of Bislak River
reached critical level.
In
Laoag City and the most parts of the province’s first district, all school
levels except for the Northwestern University of Laoag conducted classes.
Based
on advisory from Ilocos Norte Governor Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos, it states “A wide
difference in flood conditions prevailing in the province, local government units
should decide on the suspension of classes. A new cloud cluster has settled
over Ilocos Norte, and rain may persist over the next few days.”
While
the governor and the engineering department was chasing floods in most parts of
Batac and Paoay, she urged all local chief executives here to closely monitor
the situation in their areas of responsibility and suspend classes if needed.
In
Pagudpud, Mayor Marlon Sales said all roads remain passable in the area and
there was no reported incident of landslide so far.
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