LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Mayor Romeo K. Salda expressed disappointment on the unresolved flooding in the strawberry farm amidst the implementation of several multi-million flood control projects in the area to address the said perennial problem that affects the welfare of farmers in the valley.
Salda pointed out that the design and implementation of the P80 million flood control project along the Bulo creek seem not to have strictly followed the results of the feasibility study that was conducted by the HEDCOR in the past that contributed to the flooding in the strawberry farm at the height of Supertyphoon Egay aggravated by the enhanced southwest monsoon over the past two weeks.
Further, he added that what worsened the flooding was the ongoing implementation of another P100 million flood control project within the said area aside from the huge volume of water that was brought by the weather disturbance and the monsoon rains.
The local chief executive claimed that the supposed tunnel was actually elevated that is why it was not able to serve its purpose when a huge volume of water started to flow into the area that resulted into the flooding of the strawberry farm where the same had been a perennial problem in the past.
However, Mayor Salda expressed hope that the perennial flooding in the strawberry farm will be resolved once the ongoing multi-million flood control projects will be completed by the contractors to be able to lessen the damages inflicted to the farmers during the rainy season.
According to him, strawberry farmers are the ones that are always heavily impacted by the perennial flooding in the area that is why they had been longing for lasting solutions that will be implemented by concerned government agencies to avoid unnecessary losses on their part.
He admitted that one of the possible reasons for the flooding in the strawberry farm was the huge volume of rain that was brought by the typhoon aggravated by the two-week long enhanced southwest monsoon that inflicted heavy losses to the farmers.
La Trinidad is the main source of the strawberries being sold not only in nearby Baguio city but also in the different markets around the country.
The mayor lauded the affected strawberry farmers for their resilience in being able to recover from the effects of the flooding to their farms but such unnecessary losses should have been avoided if the flood control project shall have been in place and that the design of the said projects have been strictly followed.
Salda assured residents and visitors that there will still be sufficient supply of strawberries for domestic and commercial consumption considering that the rainy season is not the planting time for the said fruit.
The mayor asserted that the local government is closely working with concerned agencies and research institutions to guarantee the sustainable production of strawberry planting materials that are resistant to avoid possible shortage in supply that might cause tits prices to skyrocket in the future.
