Philippines: KHSPC Chairman Pushes for Chico River Dredging

Dredging the Chico river from siltation will result to revenue generation derived from agriculture particularly from rice farming. This is the contention of the chairman of the Kalinga Hybrid Seeds Producers Cooperative.

Dr. Jaime Almora, in his proposal to dredge a 24-kilometer stretch of the Chico river from Calanan to Cabaruan, estimated that P240 million in government revenue will be sourced from an estimate 500 hectares of reclaimed lands and quarrying.

The computation he said is based on the 12% value added tax imposed to the agriculture industry that is producing 65,000 tons and valued at roughly P2.2 billion in annual production.

He said the revenue to be derived from agriculture production and business opportunities from quarrying in the affected areas is not realized because of flooding and scouring of fertile lands all the time by the swelling river during heavy downpour.

 “85% of the money in circulation in this city is derived from agriculture,” according to Almora.

He said the only way to realize this is revenue is to dredge portion of the Chico river in order to re-channel its flow and sustain de-silting through quarrying.

Flood controls like concrete cladded and gabion wire dikes were constructed but did not solve the problem on flooding, Almora claimed.

“Immediate effects from dredging is faster velocity of water flow, shorter transit time, slower siltation,” Almora, who is also the Director of Almora General Hospital, said.

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Dredging Today Staff, December 14, 2011;