Japan turns over flood mitigation project to Cagayan de Oro LGU

DAVAO CITY–The Japanese government turned over to the Cagayan de Oro City government last Friday the second package of a project that seeks to mitigate the flooding of the city’s downtown area.

Funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the project consisted of a 2.3-kilometer floodwall with a boulevard along the Cagayan de Oro river. The Japanese also introduced a technology for underground soil improvement using a non-vibratory sand compaction piles method to minimize building site disruption.

The turnover of the Contract Package 2 of the Flood Risk Management Project for Cagayan de Oro River (FRIMP-CDOR) was held in Barangay Puntod, Cagayan de Oro City.

In his message during the turnover ceremony, Kinoshita Akito, the second secretary of the Embassy of Japan, said the project’s flood control structures would protect the people and economy of Cagayan de Oro City from future floods. He said the new dike road would also improve the city’s road network and help reduce traffic congestion.

The entire project was signed on March 7, 2019, between officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways and Toyo Construction Co. Ltd. The Contract Package 2 is one of the project’s three contract packages designed to mitigate flooding along the Cagayan de Oro River in Misamis Oriental, the embassy said.

Cagayan de Oro City and the province, along with Iligan City and Lanao del Norte, sustained the heaviest impact of the late season Typhoon Sendong in December 2011. Almost 1,500 persons died. Cagayan de Oro City has since evacuated all informal residents along the Cagayan de Oro River and declared it a no-build zone for residents.

Image credits: Manuel T. Cayon