BAGUIO CITY – The municipal government of La Trinidad, Benguet has formally asked President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to intervene in the town’s worsening flooding problem, which local officials attribute to “problematic flood control” infrastructure.
“We hope that the President can help us with an immediate solution because the flooding has cost the municipality a lot and it continues to threaten the livelihood of our people,” Mayor Roderick Awingan said in a phone interview.
He said the municipal council has recently adopted Resolution 266-2025 urging the President to include in the audit and performance review of flood control projects the Phase III of the Bolo Creek Flood Control Project implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)- Benguet First District Engineering Office.
The mayor lamented that despite previous requests, the persistent flooding, worsened by frequent rains brought by the southwest monsoon, remains unaddressed.
He said farms and households regularly go underwater during heavy downpours.
In particular, Awingan cited the flooding of strawberry farms, which not only endangers farmers’ income but also undermines La Trinidad’s tourism industry.
“We cannot close our eyes anymore because it has become so regular that it is our people who are affected the most,” he stressed.
The mayor earlier ordered the immediate repair and dredging of canals leading to Bolo Creek, but these efforts proved insufficient.
Information from the municipal engineering office indicates that the portion where Bolo Creek meets the Balili River was fitted with a drainage facility that is too narrow compared to the creek’s size, creating a bottleneck that causes floods
“Something has to be done, lest the livelihood and the primary tourist attraction of La Trinidad will also go underwater with the flood,” Awingan said. **Liza Agoot
