Counteracting vulnerability: Ligao’s continued efforts in mitigating flood

With five major rivers surrounding its urban core, Ligao City is prone to flood devastation brought by frequent heavy rains. Despite this, Ligao City remains a safer ground during the rainy season.

The rivers flow through the barangays located in the periphery of the urban core, surrounding Ligao Poblacion. The San Francisco River which emerges from the neighboring town, Guinobatan, passes through Barangay Pandan and connects to Cabilogan River. The Talisay River and Nasisi River are connected to Matanglad River passing through barangays Nasisi, Pinit, and Guilid. The Ogsong River, on the other hand, passes through barangays Tagpo, Bonga, and Tuburan.

The five major rivers (1) San Francisco River, (2) Cabilogan River, (3) Ugsong/Ogsong River, (4) Talisay River, and (5) Nasisi River surrounds the urban core of Ligao City

Aside from the presence of the surrounding rivers, “the urban core is downstream of the Mayon Unit which is at higher elevation”¹ making it more prone to flooding. These geographical factors create a demand to implement flood control systems in order to counteract the vulnerability to frequent flooding.

Fortunately for Ligao, government efforts in mitigating flood are continuous and progressive. Flood control dikes, drainage canals, irrigation systems, and other flood mitigating infrastructures have been constructed in the past years to address the need for security against flood devastation.

A flood-control dike was recently completed at Barangay Binanowan which created a diversion in the Ugsong River.

On February 2014, a flood-control dike was completed at Barangay Binanowan which created a diversion in the Ugsong river. Last week, another recently completed hanging bridge was constructed at Barangay Tinampo, one of the identified flood-prone areas in Ligao. Such infrastructures were built to avoid soil erosion and provide people an easier path when crossing through the rivers. Built with good foundation and high quality, the infrastructures also prevent people from constant evacuation even during rain showers.

Redistributing water resources

Aside from providing protection to people, the infrastructures such as the irrigation canals were also designed to redirect the flow of water into agricultural lands that lack water resources. This is to avoid rain water accumulate and flood communities.

Along with the recently constructed flood-control dike at Binanowan was a siphon that was built underground and designed to collect water resource from Ugsong River to irrigate agricultural lands in area.

Left: A siphon constructed underground at Barangay Binanowan. Right: A pavement was constructed over the completed siphon to serve as pathway for people and vehicles.

On May 2014, another irrigation system was completed in Allang, Ligao City to be utilized by the local farmers. Despite the lack of rain water as a natural resource during the dry season, agricultural lands are still irrigated due to the water resource supplied by the irrigation systems.

A recently completed irrigation system at Barangay Allang provides water resource in the rice fields

“As of 2002, there were eight irrigation systems servicing around 1,950 hectares of irrigated lands.”¹ Additional irrigation systems were built since 2009 and the local government still continues to develop flood-mitigating systems.

It has become a tradition of good governance that emanated since the time of Congressman Fernando V. Gonzalez as Mayor of Ligao, continued during the administration of former Mayor Linda P. Gonzalez, and now City Mayor Patricia Gonzalez-Alsua as the current leader of the local government unit.

It is noteworthy that Ligao has come a long way since it became a city, compared to what it was before decades ago. The political will and support of the people to protect the communities and develop Ligao has become the foundation of the progressive journey of the city.

It is not much to say that efforts have not gone in vain; that the national government’s budget has been properly utilized. Flood-mitigating systems have served many purposes. From preventing soil erosion to connecting communities and irrigating agricultural lands, these strategies have turned Ligao’s vulnerability into an opportunity to fill out the other needs of the communities.

Written by Lala Peñafiel


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¹ Comprehensive Land Use Plan City Government of Ligao, Final Report. (June, 2009)

Sources:
Comprehensive Land Use Plan City Government of Ligao, Final Report. (June, 2009)
City Planning and Development Office, City Government of Ligao

Experts:
Maria Soledad Preña, City Planning and Development Officer
Leonardo Divinaflor, City Planning and Development Office