The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has reportedly cleared the contractor of the Bato bypass road construction of any wrongdoing in the flooding that hit the nearby barangay of Tamburan last week.
A source told the Tribune that DPWH officials told the Sangguniang Bayan that the contractor was not at fault for the tons of mud and debris that flowed down from the mountain and inundated the main road and some houses of the barangay at the height of heavy rains brought by the shear line and northeast monsoon.
Instead, the DPWH took criticism for implementing a drainage improvement project that resulted in a narrow drainage canal that now has a concrete cover.
The construction of the bypass road proposed by former Congressman Hector Sanchez was started last year. Once completed, it would provide an alternate route for vehicles bound for Baras and Gigmoto towns without passing through the narrow roads of Bato población.
But bad weather has delayed the completion of the first phase of the project, which has been funded another P30 million in the 2023 budget of the DPWH Catanduanes District Engineering Office.
Tamburan was among several barangays of Bato town which was hit by flash floods and landslides last week. Also inundated by flooding were Libod Poblacion, Cabugao and Talisay while landslides were reported in Bagumbayan and Oguis, partially blocking the roads.
According to MDRRM officer Donnabelle Tejada, the Bagumbayan landslide was a major one as it blocked the road to Baras town.
Muddy debris blocked the creek and drainage canals in Libod, causing the excess water to flow towards Tamburan which is frequently flooded due to its relatively low elevation.
While the MDRRMO did not directly state that the debris came from the bypass road construction, it conceded that it was possible as the debris included trees and plant materials.
Mayor Juan Rodulfo immediately ordered the MDRRMO and concerned agencies to prioritize the clearing of roads that serve as the population’s lifeline.
Due to the lack of heavy equipment, the local government sought assistance from a construction company and the provincial government although personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine National Police (PNP) and volunteer groups like fraternities assisted barangay officials and residents in clearing debris from homes and streets.
“We expected the flooding and landslides to occur in the affected barangays,” Tejada told the Tribune, citing the flooding that affected the Cabugao Integrated School where water from the nearby mountain gushed into the compound.
According to the MDRRMO, 20 of the municipality’s 27 barangays are prone to rain-induced landslides.
The landslide prone villages are Sta. Isabel, Sibacungan, Sipi, Tamburan, Tilis, Oguis, San Andres, San Pedro, San Roque, Aroyao Pequeno, Bagumbayan, Batalay, Guinobatan, Libjo, Libod Poblacion, Marinawa, Mintay, Cabugao, Cagraray and Carorian.