Aired (November 30, 2024): Nasa 100 milyong piso ang halaga ng flood control project na ito sa Arayat, Pampanga pero wala pang isang taon, nasira na agad ang isang bahagi dahil sa ulan. Dahil sa nangyaring pagguho, pati mga bahay, nadamay. Nagastos ba nang tama ang pondo?
NASAAN ANG PERA? #ReportersNotebook
NASAAN ANG PERA? #ReportersNotebook
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00:00Residents will serve as protection against flood and storm against this slow protection or retaining wall on the side of the river.
00:16It's worth almost Php 100 million.
00:22But less than a year after doing this,
00:25Why did the Flood Control Project suddenly stop?
00:56That's why the residents living on the side of the river had to flee because of the flood.
01:03Please help us.
01:22Why did you design this?
01:29Your project is a waste.
01:33It's a waste of money.
01:37This retaining wall is 100 meters long.
01:40It was built so that it won't flood the town of Araya when the water level rises.
01:46But after more than a year, this part of the retaining wall has already collapsed.
01:53In the town of Licab, Nueva Ecija,
01:56a Flood Control Project was also destroyed in the aftermath of the Super Typhoon Pepitong.
02:03It's worth more than Php 47 million.
02:09Because of the destruction of the project, the whole town was flooded and some farmers lost their livelihood.
02:17This part was destroyed and all the water came to us.
02:25It's a waste.
02:29Every project was spent by the town.
02:34That's why we should investigate
02:40and ask,
02:42Where is the money?
02:44What is the cause of the flood?
02:53Ma, it's about to rain.
02:58On the afternoon of August 16, 2024, the residents of Barangay Cantading, Araya, and Pampanga were confused
03:05when the land next to the river suddenly split after the rain.
03:10It's a disaster.
03:14It's a disaster.
03:17It's a disaster.
03:19It's a disaster.
03:24Because Pampanga is considered a catch basin,
03:30the Department of Public Works and Highways, or DPWH, established a slope protection or retaining wall project.
03:40This will serve as a protection for the residents and the community whenever the water rises in the Pampanga River.
03:49But on the morning of August 17,
03:52the land split and the retaining wall part continued to collapse.
04:00Guys, look at this.
04:03It's flooding.
04:06It's a disaster.
04:09It's a disaster.
04:14It's a disaster.
04:17This will create a problem.
04:20It's shaking.
04:22It could break.
04:27It's a disaster.
04:29As a result of the earthquake, the ground around the damaged project is almost collapsed.
04:36Even the houses are damaged.
04:39Where are you going? This is dangerous. Even your house is damaged.
04:45We are calling you. What did you do?
04:47My God, what did you do to us?
04:49We are all broken.
04:51We are all damaged.
04:54The resident, Marcos Castillo,
04:57noticed that the ground is slowly crumbling in their area.
05:02At first, it was like half a meter per day.
05:07The next day, it was one meter.
05:10Now, it's three meters deep.
05:16But one night, they suddenly heard a loud bang.
05:22The project is already collapsing.
05:30That's the broken concrete.
05:33And these steel pipes are the ones that are breaking.
05:38When we woke up,
05:40we noticed that the ground is slowly crumbling.
05:47As the retaining wall collapsed,
05:49his house was damaged and almost no one lived in it.
05:54This is my house.
05:57That's the kitchen and the room.
05:59Half of the room has already collapsed.
06:02Can I still sleep peacefully here?
06:05Of course, I can't.
06:07So, I'm on my own.
06:10It's very heavy.
06:12Of course, this is where I grew up and became a family member.
06:17I won't just leave this land.
06:23In the document obtained by the Reporter's Notebook from DPWH,
06:27it is stated that the retaining wall is worth P91.6 million.
06:33In February 2023, the DPWH started the project
06:37Flood Management Programme,
06:39for the rehabilitation of flood mitigation facilities within major river basins.
06:45This was declared 100% completed in October 2023.
06:51The general appropriations act, or GAA, or Kaban ng Bayan, did not fund the project.
06:57But less than a year later, the project collapsed.
07:02August 19, two days after the collapse,
07:05the Reporter's Notebook went to the project.
07:15This retaining wall is 100 meters long.
07:18It was built to prevent flooding in the town of Arayat
07:21when the water level in the river rises.
07:24Construction started in February 2020.
07:27But after more than a year, this part of the retaining wall collapsed.
07:33We were lucky that the contractor was able to repair the collapsed part of the retaining wall.
07:40What are you restoring now?
07:42Have you taken into consideration that it can collapse again because the land will move?
07:48Actually, we already put the water pump outside.
07:53Actually, we already put the water pump outside.
07:57We already put big bricks so that it won't collapse.
08:01The land here is already damaged.
08:05This project is 107 meters long.
08:08In the collapse, 50 meters were damaged and affected.
08:13The contractor explained that they just followed the design given by DPWH.
08:19What did the DPWH say about the design?
08:22Should this be tolerated?
08:23Yes, because that's what they do in other projects.
08:28That's where the collapse happened.
08:31But in the design, did it say that this land could move?
08:37No.
08:38Why don't you know?
08:40Before this retaining wall was built, it was almost P100 million.
08:45Why didn't you know that this would happen?
08:48Shouldn't you have studied it?
08:50We didn't study it.
08:52So it's a waste.
08:54This project is a waste, right?
08:56That's why we are doing it.
08:59We will restore it.
09:01Reporters went to the office of DPWH Region 3
09:05to find out why the P100 million project was destroyed so quickly.
09:11The affected area of our project is where the embankment was settled.
09:19Then our sheet pile tilted or leaned towards the river.
09:25There are dead man or anchor tie there.
09:29You will also see that they really resisted
09:35when the water was too heavy or the soil under the project was too soft.
09:43According to the DPWH,
09:45before the project was implemented and started,
09:48their agency will be held accountable.
09:51Of course, there will be a survey and a plan will be made.
09:54But before you can make a plan,
09:56there will be an investigation,
10:00like the soil and water.
10:03Then there will be a topography of the location where you want to do the project.
10:11After the construction of the project,
10:13they promised that they will continue to monitor the contractors in repairing it.
10:19Our contractors are repairing it.
10:23We are monitoring them.
10:26The government will not spend any money because the project is under warranty.
10:32But in the middle of repairing the retaining wall,
10:35the other part of the project fell again due to the impact of Hurricane Christine.
10:45In this video,
10:46it is noteworthy that the damaged part of the project almost sank due to the high water level.
11:03The reporter's notebook returned the location.
11:08The previously dented retaining wall
11:11completely collapsed and almost fell into the river.
11:17The residents living around it were more afraid.
11:22Of course, we are afraid.
11:24Because of Hurricane Christine, we were saved.
11:29It collapsed.
11:31It looks like it exploded.
11:33Then when the flood came, it stopped.
11:37Because the houses there collapsed.
11:41Three months after the collapse,
11:44Three months after the collapse of the retaining wall,
11:47this is what the house of Marcos looks like now.
11:52Their kitchen and room completely collapsed.
11:56The floor is falling.
11:57The house completely collapsed.
12:00Of course, there is still a little left.
12:06They also decided to temporarily leave the place.
12:11Of course, I am worried.
12:13Especially since we are just living here.
12:17This is a different type of house.
12:20I am also waiting for this to end so that we can come back here.
12:25We again interviewed DPWH Region 3.
12:29You've mentioned before, sir, that you will monitor and continue the repair.
12:36But sir, what happened?
12:38Why did that project collapse again?
12:42The problem is when the water comes.
12:46For example, the pipito.
12:48When the water rises, we cannot do the repair.
12:52So mostly when it falls, that's when we do the repair.
12:56We do it quickly so that people can be protected immediately.
13:02We showed an expert the damaged part of the retaining wall.
13:08According to him,
13:09The sheet pile can really be used.
13:11It is an appropriate material as a slope protection.
13:14The question is, is the design correct?
13:16The thickness of the steel used,
13:18its layout,
13:20the depth that penetrates inside.
13:22The way I look at this, from this point of view,
13:25this is close. It is also dangerous to protect.
13:29It is also important to re-study the design before doing the project again.
13:33Review the previous design which failed.
13:37Then involve the other DC team.
13:40It should not have a failure if the design considerations are correct.
13:47There is an additional design there.
13:49The suggestion is to put perforated pipes.
13:54There are perforated pipes below
13:57so that the softening of the soil, like before, can be avoided.
14:06The work there is amazing.
14:08So if you look at it now,
14:10we are already within 40% in the construction.
14:18They also assure that there will still be no funds
14:21to rebuild the damaged part of the retaining wall.
14:24That is under warranty.
14:26So that is what we are using as a fund
14:32taking into consideration what is happening there.
14:51For more information, visit www.fema.gov