With 47.55 percent completion rate as of May 2021, the Department of Public Works and Highways is currently fast-tracking the building process of a P40-million flood control structure in Barangay Punta in the coastal town or Aparri, Cagayan to make it in time for the rainy season.
Secretary Mark A. Villar said that the DPWH Cagayan 1st District Engineering Office (DEO) is undertaking the construction of the flood control project which has received funding from fiscal years 2020 and 2021 under the Multi-Year Contractual Authority (MYCA).
Citing reports from DPWH Regional Office 2 Director Loreta M. Malauan and Cagayan 1st DEO District Engineer James P. Ferrer, Secretary Villar explained that the project is aiming to build a 254.80-linear-meter flood control structure with additional 5.16-meter slope protection throughout its length.
“The project is in line with the national government’s effort to mitigate flooding in Cagayan Province. With its strategic placing near the mouth of the Cagayan River and the Babuyan Channel, the structure is seen to protect lives and properties of people residing in Barangay Punta,” said Secretary Villar.
The flood control structure is also part of the preparation for the construction of Aparri Boulevard and Rehabilitation of Aparri Port in the town.
Aside from serving as a protective structure after its completion, the provided esplanade along the flood control structure will double as a venue for recreational and outdoor activities like jogging and biking.