Davao City Ancillary Services Unit (ASU) Head Paul Bermejo on Thursday recommended to the City Mayor’s Office (CMO) to expedite the procurement of the requested specialized flood and silt control equipment.
Bermejo said ASU, through the Task Force Drainage And Right-Of-Way, is waiting for the procurement of a slurry pump and vacuum and jetting truck that they requested. He said the equipment will be used for flood clearing operations, specially in the flood-prone areas of the city.
He added that ASU also requested a truck for faster deployment of the strike team.
“Mag recommend ta sa city mayor nga i-expedite niya ang mga specialized nga mga equipment nga actually, naa na’y program design, naa na’y budget, approved na tanan, ang procurement na lang among gipaabot na mugawas. Naa ta’y slurry pump nga gi-request nga dili lang tubig ang ma-suck kundi pati mud. Dako ni nga equipment nga mulimpyo sa stagnant nga drainage system,” Bermejo explained during I-Speak media forum.
Bermejo said these devices are needed as recently there has been a little rain in Davao City, yet, there were areas that had experienced flooding.
He said they are also currently waiting for the strategic planning that they will conduct together with the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) and the Department of Public Works and Highways 11 (DPWH 11).
“Puro na lang mi reactive, wala nami proactive nga mga activities, so kinahanglan namo ug strategic planning together with CEO and DPWH 11,” he said.
Bermejo said they are exploring other specialized drainage equipment similar to other countries including additional devices to continue monitoring the flood levels.
He added that they will also recommend to the CMO to institutionalize Task Force Drainage And Right-Of-Way, which was created on February 6, 2017, to help solve and mitigate flooding and traffic conditions in Davao City.
Meanwhile, Bermejo shared that ASU recorded 2,400 tons or 6,795 cubic meters of coastal garbage, which is equal to 1,699 truckloads, collected last year.
He said the coastal garbage were collected from the 26 coastal barangays and eight riverbanks from the First District of the city.
