By 2019, residents of Tacloban and Palo in the province of Leyte will have their first line of defense against storm surge such as what happened during the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 with the completion of the New Leyte Embankment Project.
The Heightened Road and Tide Embankment (HRTE) Project is a P7.9-billion infrastructure project of the Department of Works and Highways (DPWH) involving the construction of a four-meter-high seawall structure with concrete pavement, railings, ramps, and street lights.
It traverses the coastline of Barangay Diit in Tacloban City with a total length of 27.3 km starting from the city of Palo going to the city of Tanuan.
Completing 40% of the project works since its commencement in 2016, it is noted as one of the high impact projects that will serve as a protection and mitigation measure for coastal communities made vulnerable by disasters.
The embankment project is also seen as an approach to help Yolanda survivors regain their confidence and be economically, and industrially progressive.