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| Take two? Multi million asphalting project along the portion of San Luis town. |
Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo, PML president, claimed that with the current levee's structural defects, asphalt overlay on top of it will not help solve the flooding problem in the province as recently experienced by all towns adjacent to Pampanga River.
"Enough for it. Hundreds of millions has been wasted on previous asphalting project. The funds for this should be instead spend ifor rehabilitation of Arayat-Apalit setback levee," Pelayo said.
"Ano bang meron dito sa asphalting project na to? Bakit ganun na lamang ang kanilang kagustuhang matuloy ito gayong ilang bahagi nito ang mahina na at posibli pang pumutok sa panahon ng malakig pagbaha na pwedi pang magpalubog sa malaking bahagi ng Pampanga," the mayor asked.
Antonio Molano, Public Works Regional Director, earlier, called for the suspension 26-kilometer Arayat-Apalit setback levee's asphalting project following a series of breaches of the Arnedo Dike and the Arayat-Apalit setback levee caused by typhoons.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) conducted an inventory of all projects to know the real condition of the them before proceeding with the rehabilitation works.
Earlier, the Pampanga mayors approved Resolution no. 14, Series of 2011 urging President Benigno Aquino III to suspend all DPWH projects intended for the third and fourth district of the province.
This initiative will cover only projects which are not in accord with the duly approved priority and development programs of the province, especially on risk and disaster management prevention.
"The people have spoken through their mayors, Congresswoman Anna should respect it. They wanted rehabilitation instead of asphalt over lay in Arayat-Apalit setback levee. Dito kasi kawawa ang taongbayan dahil sila ang tuwirang apektado kung hindi magagawan ng paraan ang paghina ng dike. Yun naman may gusto ng asphalting hindi naman niya nakita ang tunay na kalagayan ng dike nang bumabagyo," Pelayo stressed.