Fernando promises megadikes, water impounding facilities for suffering Bulacan voters

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Incumbent Bulacan governor Daniel Fernando, who is seeking reelection in the upcoming May polls, promises to solve Bulacan’s most pressing problems

BULACAN, Philippines – The rapidly urbanizing province of Bulacan and its over 2 million voters have been grappling with an interesting conundrum for years: too much water, and not enough water.

In paper, Bulacan has sufficient water resources to support its domestic and agriculture needs. Within the province are dams Angat, Ipo, and Bustos, as well as large tributaries like San Miguel and Maasim. But because the province is a low-lying site, it acts as a catch basin for other nearby areas, thus, the massive floods.

And yet, Bulakenyos suffer water shortages. For years, the residents have bitterly endured the abysmal water service of Villar-owned PrimeWater. A casual scroll on Facebook and Twitter, and you will see the pains of its paying customers – smelly, muddy water, waterless faucets, and the long queue of pails and drums waiting to be filled with water by tanks provided by the local government. (READ: #MakeBulacanLiveable: Residents share woes they want addressed by local bets ahead of elections)

These problems are what incumbent governor Daniel Fernando, who is seeking reelection in the upcoming May polls, promises to solve.

Fernando shared the Bataan to Manila megadike proposal during the Make Bulacan Liveable interview on Monday, April 28. The ambitious project will finally solve the province’s perennial flooding woes, according to the governor. “Nilatag na namin doon sa ating national government, ‘yung tinatawag na megadike…we requested na magkaroon na ng feasibility study para mapondohan.”

(We have already laid out this plan to our national government, this megadike project…we requested that a feasibility study be conducted so that it can be funded.)

The planned megadike will be composed of sea walls that will prevent high tide from entering Bulacan’s coastal communities.

Aside from the megadike project, Fernando also boasted the construction of Bayabas Dam, which will catch water and repurpose it for agricultural use. The governor is also planning to build additional dams to alleviate Bustos Dam’s load, as well as another dike project.

While these infrastructure projects are waiting for the go signal, Fernando’s stop-gap measure is dredging and de-silting the province’s tributaries and rivers. Fernando said he’s in the talks with San Miguel chief Ramon Ang, who promised to help with the efforts. Ang’s company is in charge of building Bulacan’s Aerocity.

Environmentalists and advocates have long voiced their concerns regarding the project, the biggest of which is how it exacerbates the province’s flooding. Another criticism is how the multi-million airport has displaced communities and affected mangrove areas.

Despite this, Fernando gives SMC credit, and said that the conglomerate has done its part in assisting affected communities and helping the local government with its dredging and desilting efforts.

Fernando added that he has this rule: any developer who enters Bulacan is expected to aid the local government with its water impounding project. This is how Bonifacio Global City has prevented flooding in its area. Underneath Burgos Circle in Taguig is a massive six-storey deep cistern able to retain flood water.

He is not alone, as several local government officials have expressed their interest to build their own water impounding facilities. The Department of Public Works and Highways, however, has expressed difficulties in building these facilities in densely populated areas. 

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