The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), alongside local government units (LGUs), is launching a comprehensive series of flood control initiatives in Dagupan City, featuring short-term desilting operations alongside long-term water storage infrastructure.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon announced that immediate action will focus on desilting and clearing the upstream stretches of the Sinocalan River, where prolonged inundation has affected several communities.
”The first thing we need to do is to dredge from the upstream of the Sinocalan River, since there are a lot of areas in the upstream of Dagupan City that are submerged in water for a long time,” Dizon said during a Thursday afternoon interview.
Heavy machinery is slated to arrive shortly to begin clearing the waterway, supported by regional resources.
”Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico III wants to help, and we will accept the dredging equipment from the province. We will deploy it along with our other equipment,” he stated.
Alongside dredging efforts, four mobile water pumps are being dispatched to clear residual floodwaters, while authorities assess local infrastructure.
”When we dredge the Sinocalan River, we also need to remove the water that remains in other barangays. I am also checking all the gabions to see if any need repair,” he explained.
Additional short-term steps include restoring and turning over the Bacayao Sur and Bacayao Norte floodgates to the City Engineering Office, as well as mitigating backflow issues along Careenan Poblacion Oeste caused by the Pantal River.
”Those are the immediate ones. When I say immediate, I mean in the next few days. We will start with that. Then, we will go to the medium term,” Dizon said.
Medium-term solutions involve constructing two flood detention basins modeled after the facility at St. John the Evangelist Cathedral, which successfully keeps the church grounds dry during high water levels. These facilities are planned for the city plaza and Inarangan Lake, complemented by upgraded drainage and roadwork along Burgos Street in the central business district.
”Medium-term solutions will start work in 2027. We will allot budget for it and, hopefully, before the rainy season in 2027, these will all be accomplished,” he noted.
For its long-term strategy, the agency intends to construct a 47-hectare artificial lake and detention structure in neighboring Calasiao town.
”We will build a channel so that the water from Calasiao, before it even reaches Dagupan City, would be diverted directly to the Pantal River,” Dizon explained, adding that this major undertaking requires at least two and a half years to design and build.
Dizon urged local official partners to maintain strong coordination with the DPWH to ensure the smooth rollout of all flood mitigation projects.