By Dominic dela Cruz
Staff reporter
Laoag City—As the rainy season officially starts, the City Engineering and Community Affairs Offices here have stepped up efforts to clear drainage canals around the city.
Acting City engineer Roy Tomas said his office have begun clearing main drainage canals in the city.
During their operations, he said drainage canals around the city are still being used as garbage dumps. He stressed that this situation clogs canals, thus flooding occurs when strong rains hit the city.
Mr. Tomas appealed to all barangay officials in the city to help and cooperate with the clearing operation to speed up the process.
Community affairs officer Bernardino Rodillas said they have informed barangay chairpersons in the city about the need for their help in clearing drainage canals.
Meanwhile, reelected Laoag Mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas has also instructed the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for the pre-disaster proposed budget.
She said the city government needs to allocate funds before disasters hit so they can also find ways to minimize and mitigate the disasters’ effects.
Ms. Fariñas stressed that as of now, their best option is to clear and dredge drainage canals. Replacing existing drainage canals around the city is not advisable, she added; they are more expensive and would entail a lot of time to construct.