Gov’t eyes P7-B Jica loan for flood control project

The government will borrow P7.1 billion from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) to meet the bulk of the financing requirement of a project aimed at mitigating flooding in areas in Cavite that host manufacturing facilities.

The remaining P2.89 billion needed for the P9.99-billion Cavite Industrial Area Flood Risk Management Project, which will be implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways, will come from the national budget.

Based on a document obtained by the Inquirer, the loan agreement with Jica for the project “would start in November.”

The DPWH plans to begin construction in October next year for completion in April 2024.

The project will mitigate flooding caused by overflow and convergence of Ylang Ylang and Rio Grande rivers in San Juan River as well as poor drainage system at Maalimango Creek, according to the document.

It will have two components. The first of which is the river flood mitigation through a 2.4-kilometer San Juan River diversion channel and the widening of Ylang Ylang and Rio Grande rivers by 2.8 km and 4.2 km, respectively.

The second component will involve the improvement of Maalimango Creek’s catchment area drainage by widening the creek by 2 km and building of two diversion channels 1 km and 3.5 km long.

Up to 7,964 households will be relieved from potential flooding through the project.

It will benefit the cities of General Trias and Imus as well as the municipalities of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, where economic zones that produced $5.5 billion worth of exports last year are located.—BEN O. DE VERA