Regular monitoring, clearing of Baguio’s lagoons, drainages ordered

Being in the thick of the typhoon season, City Engineering Office (CEO) head Engr. Edgar Victorio Olpindo has ordered the regular monitoring and clearing, if needed, of the city’s lagoon 1 and 2 including drainages in the Summer Capital to prevent any potential flooding incidents brought about by a heavy downpour.

This was disclosed by Engr. Richard Lardizabal, CEO maintenance division chief, during a media forum, October 12, at City Hall conducted by the City Mayor’s Office public information division.

All contractors in the city, he said, were also instructed to check their respective construction sites for any hazards and clear their areas of any materials that may contribute to the clogging of drainages and other waterways when severe weather is expected.

He added that contractors are told to suspend their projects to minimize the possibility of flooding and other unwanted mishaps during torrential rains.

The CEO is also continuously monitoring drainages in national roads within the city in close coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Lardizabal said. 

As part of its regular functions, Lardizabal said his office also assists, among others, in the demolition of structures at the Slaughterhouse compound to give way for a greenhouse project of the City Veterinary and Agricultural Office (CVAO).

He said the city’s drainage system can still cope with heavy rainfall  that may be exacerbated by climate change since the DPWH are using large pipes like at the Burnham Park area and drainage tunnels that were done at Magsaysay can handle heavy volumes of water. – Gaby B. Keith