La Union town seeks, gains landowners’ help in easing highway flooding

BAUANG, La Union — The municipal government is seeking the cooperation of private landowners and business establishments to improve drainage systems and restore waterways in flood-prone areas along the national highway, particularly in Barangays Bakwitsur and Bakwit Norte.

Recurring flooding, aggravated by prolonged rains in August and September, has submerged portions of the highway and affected nearby commercial establishments, causing traffic congestion and disrupting motorists.

During the recent La Union Agkaysa: Talks and Thoughts from the Capitol program, municipal officials said consultations with affected property owners had prompted some to voluntarily set aside portions of their land for drainage improvements.

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Municipal Administrator Ronald Lee said several landowners who initially resisted the proposal eventually agreed to allow drainage facilities to pass through their properties to improve water flow.

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Red Pimentel, officer-in-charge of the Bauang Public Order and Safety Office, said an assessment conducted in August identified three major factors behind the flooding: prolonged rainfall and the area’s topography, rapid development that has reduced open spaces, and the large volume of runoff from the upland barangays of Bisuor, Dili and Kinavite.

The assessment was conducted by the Municipal Engineering Office and the Public Order and Safety Office in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) District 2 and its Ilocos regional office.

Pimentel said rainwater from the mountainous areas flows toward Bakwitsur and Bakwit Norte, turning the two low-lying barangays into catch basins.

Continuous rainfall from July through August also saturated the ground, reducing its ability to absorb additional water.

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The assessment further found that debris, silt, mud and stones carried by runoff had accumulated in drainage channels leading to Magsawang Creek, restricting water flow.

High tide compounds the problem by slowing the discharge of floodwater into the creek, Pimentel said.

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Municipal officials said the findings would help identify the sources and direction of floodwater and determine where drainage improvements were most urgently needed.

They stressed that addressing the flooding would require sustained coordination among the municipal and provincial governments, the DPWH, barangay officials and affected private property owners.

Lee said the municipal government preferred dialogue and voluntary agreements with landowners but could consider legal measures, including expropriation, if necessary to implement projects intended for public use.

He also urged business establishments to install adequate drainage facilities and comply with development permit requirements.

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Lee said the municipal government is strengthening enforcement of these requirements, emphasizing that while businesses contribute to the local economy, they also have responsibilities to the communities where they operate. INQ