NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – In July, a lot of the flood management tasks inbuilt Negros Occidental and Bacolod Metropolis by the contractor that topped President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s personal record of companies with probably the most variety of such works have been themselves inundated after days of heavy rain as a result of enhanced southwest monsoon. The rain had been intensified by two tropical cyclones – Extreme Tropical Storm Crising (Wipha) and Tropical Storm Dante (Francisco).
Twenty-three of the 28 flood management tasks awarded and undertaken by Legacy Building Company (LCC) since 2022 have been swamped in July. The breakdown: 22 in southern Negros Occidental, one in Bacolod Metropolis.
Knowledge from the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” portal present that between 2022 and 2024, the development agency owned by businessman Alex Abelido secured 28 anti-flood tasks in 12 cities and municipalities of Negros Occidental, together with at the very least three in Bacolod Metropolis. The whole value was over P2.109 billion.
Who’s Alex Abelido?
Abelido is a distinguished determine in Bacolod and Negros Occidental. He’s the son of Dominador Abelido, a former government of Victorias Milling Firm (VMC) in Victorias Metropolis, Asia’s largest sugar refinery.
Abelido can be the developer of Legacy Subdivision in Barangay Alicante, EB Magalona. He’s the townmate of Bacolod Consultant Albee Benitez, who beforehand served as town’s mayor and a Negros Occidental congressman.
When Benitez was Bacolod’s mayor, LCC gained the contract for the bold P600-million legislative constructing development mission of metropolis corridor. The mission, which features a helipad and is funded as a part of town authorities’s P4.4-billion mortgage, started in 2023 however stays unfinished.
Apart from the legislative constructing mission, Abelido’s agency can be the contractor for the continued P600-million Bacolod Metropolis Basic Hospital (BCGH) in Barangay Vista Alegre, a mission of former congressman and now Mayor Greg Gasataya.
July catastrophe
In July, Negros Occidental declared a state of calamity as a result of extreme flooding. The declaration was additionally partly as a result of infestation of red-striped mushy scale bugs.
The floods left six folks useless and displaced greater than 22,000 residents, with crop and livestock losses estimated at P44.5 million.
In Bacolod and Talisay cities, hours of monsoon rain triggered extreme flooding that adversely affected over 18,000 folks and uncovered long-standing infrastructure issues.
That month, native officers blamed the flooding on uncollected rubbish, insufficient drainage and fast urbanization, which have affected each casual settlements and prosperous neighborhoods.
Authorities started declogging operations and planning long-term drainage upgrades. Bacolod officers confronted mounting stress to handle worsening floods amid an growing older drainage system and a restricted price range for everlasting fixes.
They referred to as for a complete flood management program requiring cooperation between native and nationwide governments, whereas metropolis officers sought extra nationwide funding for floodgates and pumping stations.
Legacy’s tasks
LCC’s flood management tasks have been undertaken in Bacolod Metropolis, Victorias Metropolis, Talisay Metropolis, Himamaylan Metropolis, Kabankalan Metropolis, and the cities of Manapla, EB Magalona, La Castellana, Isabela, Binalbagan, Hinigaran and Ilog.
In Bacolod Metropolis, these included the development of a revetment with a flood wall in Mandalagan River (P69.16 million), the Lupit River flood management construction section 7 (P96.5 million), and a revetment with a flood wall in Loygoy Creek, Barangay 41 (P91.675 million).
In Victorias Metropolis, the corporate constructed a flood management construction alongside Malihaw River in Barangays VI-A and IX (P86.847 million). In Manapla, it constructed a breakwater in Barangay Tortosa (P4.94 million).
In EB Magalona, it constructed flood management in Barangay Alicante (P49.49 million), whereas in Talisay Metropolis it constructed a flood management construction in Matab-ang River (P48.99 million).
In La Castellana, works included slope safety on the precise financial institution of Indurawan River (P96.49 million), one other slope safety mission on the identical river (P96.49 million), and slope safety on Camansi River at Camansi Bridge, Barangay Robles (P54.9 million).
In Isabela, tasks included slope safety alongside Binalbagan River on the junction of Bagonawa-La Castellana-Isabela Street (P96.5 million), Guintubhan River financial institution slope safety alongside Binalbagan-Isabela Street (P96 million), Binalbagan River financial institution slope safety section 2 (P96.5 million), slope safety in Barangay Rumirang (P95 million) and Barangay Bungahin (P96.5 million), one other Guintubhan River financial institution slope safety alongside Binalbagan-Isabela Street (P96.5 million), slope safety at Alicante Bridge (P96.5 million), and slope safety in Barangay 5 (P9 million).
In Himamaylan Metropolis, the mission was Su-ay River slope safety in Barangay Su-ay (P49 million).
In Binalbagan, tasks included Binalbagan River slope safety (P49 million), grouter rip-rap and line canal (P9.89 million), Binalbagan River financial institution slope safety in Barangay San Jose (P99 million), and in Barangay Camoros (P88.2 million).
In Hinigaran, the corporate constructed Binalbagan River financial institution slope safety downstream (P96.5 million) and upstream (P98.9 million).
In Ilog, it constructed two flood mitigating buildings at Ilog-Bungol River value P89.2 million and P54.9 million.
In Kabankalan Metropolis, the mission was a flood mitigating construction at Ilog-Hilabangan River (P96.5 million).
All tasks have been accomplished between July 2022 and December 2024.
LCC’s flood management tasks in Mandalagan River in Bacolod Metropolis and Matab-ang River in Talisay Metropolis have been amongst these inundated on July 11 and 12.
Its tasks in La Castellana, Isabela, Binalbagan, Hinigaran, Himamaylan, Kabankalan and Ilog have been additionally severely flooded between July 17 and 20.
The floods spared section 7 of the Lupit River flood management mission and on the Loygoy Creek in Barangay 41 in Bacolod. Areas the place it had flood management proects in Victorias Metropolis, Manapla and EB Magalona in Negros Occidental weren’t flooded.
The Bacolod flood management tasks have been carried out by the Division of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bacolod Metropolis District Engineering Workplace.
Tasks in Victorias, Manapla, EB Magalona and Talisay have been dealt with by the DPWH Negros Occidental 1st District Engineering Workplace, whereas these in La Castellana, Isabela, Hinigaran, Binalbagan and Himamaylan have been below the 2nd District Engineering Workplace. The tasks in Kabankalan and Ilog have been carried out by the third District Engineering Workplace.
‘No downside’
Engineer Leah Jamero, officer-in-charge of the DPWH Bacolod Metropolis District Engineering Workplace, stated they discovered “no downside” with LCC’s flood management tasks within the metropolis regardless of the July floodings.
“LCC will not be a headache; we’ve got no downside with its compliances,” Jamero stated.
Benitez earlier stated LCC was awarded six tasks within the metropolis throughout his time period as mayor of Bacolod. Nevertheless, the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” web site listed solely three.
He stated Marcos had not said that there have been anomalies in LCC’s tasks.
Gasataya, for his half, stated he would go away it to the DPWH to evaluate LCC’s flood management tasks in Bacolod. – Rappler.com
