The Department of Public Works and Highways in Bicol (DPWH-5) has completed the construction of two flood mitigation structures worth PHP190 million in Nabua, Camarines Sur.

In a statement on Tuesday, DPWH Regional Director Virgilio Eduarte said the structures — the PHP93-million dike in Barangay Antipolo Young and another dike worth PHP97 million in Barangay San Jose — were built for the preservation of lives and properties particularly in areas near the rivers.

“It will also decrease the destruction in agricultural livelihood, reduction of bank collapse and harmful degradation of the riverbed, and roads will be passable even during adverse weather conditions because overflow from the river will be minimized,” Eduarte said.

The two completed projects are interconnected, he said in a follow-up interview.

“The Bicol River crosses the central part of Nabua, making it inevitable for the municipality to become the catch basin for water runoffs during typhoons and heavy rainfall since most of its barangays including the Poblacion are in low-lying areas,” Eduarte noted.

It can be recalled that DPWH also installed a 2,542-lane meter flood control structure in Waras River, also in Nabua, in 2019.

“Substantial investments are being made by the government for long-term flood protection strategies. A number of projects not only in Camarines Sur but all over the country have been funded for the past years to save lives and properties,” Eduarte said. (PNA)