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The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte, Philippines, and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) are about to sign a deal for the dredging of Bislak River.
The two government bodies will, in the coming days, sign a memorandum of agreement for the dredging works which will cover the towns of Vintar and Bacarra.
By removing the accumulated debris, dredging can restore the waterway to its original depth and condition, thus preventing floods. It also removes dead vegetation, pollutants, and trash that have gathered in these areas.
According to the Provincial board member, Rafael Chua Medina, the government has granted authority to Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc to enter into a deal with the DENR under Resolution No. 2023-11-219.
He also added that the dredging and river restoration will be conducted without spending taxpayers’ money, made possible by partnering with private contractors to cover all the expenses.
“ This will be a win-win situation for the government, for the community not to have floods anymore, and for the contractors because they can use the extracted sand for whatever they want to ,” Medina said.
Aside from the Bislak River, dredging operations are already underway along the Tina-Cura Rivers in Sitio Boing, Barangay Maananteng and in Lipay, Solsona.