ILOILO CITY (PIA) -- The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council is pushing for the realization of the Panay River Basin Integrated Development Project (PRBIDP).

In the recent RDRRMC Full Council Meeting, May 4, Office of the Civil Defense Region 6 director Jose Roberto Nuñez said that the recent strong impact of Tropical Depression “Agaton” in Western Visayas, particularly in Capiz and northern part of Iloilo, which were worst hit provinces in the region, is a clear signal to push through with the project.

“It is high time again to push for the realization of the Panay River Basin Integrated Development Project of the National Irrigation Administration of Region 6 which is envisioned to significantly reduce flooding in the province of Capiz especially in the south basins of the Panay River,” he said.

subsided floodwaters; 73 rain-induced landslide occurred; five trees were uprooted; one rockslide and five road depression occurred. 

It added that TD Agaton affected thousands of families from over 1,000 barangays in the region; damaged a number of houses and brought many residents to the various evacuation centers for temporary shelter.

There were a number of roads that were not passable; over P1 billion damage on agriculture was recorded, aside from the 22 reported confirmed dead and 1 missing person.

It can be recalled that in January 2018, the RDRRMC 6 endorsed a Resolution to the National DRRMC to fast track the PRBIDP by phase, after the devastation of Tropical Depression “Agaton” that caused flooding in 19 municipalities or 189 barangays in the provinces of Capiz, Aklan and northern Iloilo, and claimed eight lives due to flooding.

Meanwhile, Nuñez said that there is a need to create a Technical Working Group (TWG), where key agencies such as the National Commission on Indigenous People s, Department of Public Works and Highways, National Irrigation Administration, Department of Energy and many more are present, that will focus on the realization of the PRBID project. (JBG/PIA6)