The PICE Iloilo Chapter have joined forces with the City Government to execute the comprehensive Oplan Kontra Baha program, commencing with extensive waterway rehabilitation in Barangay Rizal, Lapuz in a proactive effort to fortify the city’s defenses against the impending rainy season.

Spearheading this collaborative community service initiative is Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) Iloilo Chapter President Engr. Mavi Gustilo, who guided the organization in actively contributing their critical technical expertise to ensure the structural and environmental efficacy of the flood-control operations.

The primary objective of this vital undertaking was to significantly mitigate the risk of severe localized flooding and systematically improve the maximum flow capacity of existing, heavily silted waterways that serve as the essential drainage arteries for Iloilo City.

During the intensive field operations, dedicated municipal teams and engineering volunteers collaborated to thoroughly clean, deepen, and dredge all accessible open canal areas that had been historically choked by accumulated debris and thick sediment.

Furthermore, these groups actively undertook the arduous task of manually clearing massive amounts of household garbage trapped within the water currents, meticulously ensuring that all collected solid waste was properly gathered and transported to officially designated sanitary disposal sites to prevent any subsequent re-contamination.

To effectively address complex drainage bottlenecks where canal sections were severely obstructed by encroaching informal settlers and illegally built structures, the organizers engaged in careful coordination with Barangay Officials and the Local Government Unit (LGU) to facilitate an orderly clearing process and execute the necessary demolition activities safely.

As this successful initiative forms merely the initial phase of a broader, continuing city-wide resilience program, similar large-scale Oplan Kontra Baha operations are scheduled to be sustained across other vulnerable barangays, fundamentally bolstered by the unwavering, long-term commitment of the PICE Iloilo Chapter to promote public safety and sustainable infrastructure development.