A Valenzuela City lawmaker on Tuesday said that the much-awaited flood control project primarily aimed at hugely alleviating massive flooding in the two cities and a town will be started this year following the availability of the initial funds for the purpose.

Rep. Rex Gatchalian of District 1 of Valenzuela broke in what he described as the good news for the residents of his city and the adjacent Meycauayan and Obando both in Bulacan.

“Finally, we have received assurance from the concerned authorities that the Valenzuela-Obando-
Meycauayan [VOM] Flood Control Project will see its implementation early this year and this is really good as we all need this as a long-term solution,” Gatchalian said.

He added: “As what President [Benigno] Aquino [3rd] is always saying that we do not need a ‘band-aid’ solution to this perennial problem, hence, the VOM project will be the major solution that will surely help alleviate flooding in the affected areas.”

Initially, the Valenzuela lawmaker, who has been perceived to replace his outgoing and elder brother, Mayor Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian, after the former filed his certificate of candidacy for the mayoral race come May midterm polls, said that some P800 million have been made available to begin with the first phase of the project.

He said some P2 billion had been appropriated for the project and is slated to be completed in two years’ time.

Gatchalian also disclosed that Director Patrick Gatan of the Major Flood Control Projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways, will serve as the agency’s official for VOM project as he belied unconfirmed reports that engineer Carla Bartolo, the project director of the infamous and useless “Camanava” Flood Control and Drainage Improvement Project, would handle it.

“In fact, she tried to be part of the [VOM] project but I objected because I don’t want a repeat of what had happened to the project [in apparent reference to the Camanava Flood Control], which she handled,” said Gatchalian, who is also the spokesman of the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

Learning from the mistakes of other flood control projects like the one handled by Bartolo, Gatchalian assured that he would monitor the project, which he described as doable but expensive.

He cited the need to implement the project as he reiterated that it would be the solution to effectively minimize flooding in the three neighboring areas, which have been found to be lower than the sea level, the reason why they are easily submerged in floodwater.

Just the same, the Valenzuela legislator this early dispelled expectations that the VOM project would make flooding in the affected areas a thing of the past.

“Even the strongest and greatest country that is the United States was not spared by disaster like the Hurricane Sandy and global warming is much greater than all of us. What is important is that the VOM project will certainly help alleviate flooding,” Gatchalian said.

He said that the main components of VOM project include the construction of steel and concrete walls and pumping stations within the three areas.