PERENNIAL flooding in the lowlying Barangay Dampalit in Malabon City is now a “thing of the past” following the completion of the 8.6-kilometer polder dike initiated by Rep. Jaye Lacson-Noel and constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Mayor Antolin “Lenlen” Oreta 3rd has expressed gratitude to LacsonNoel for giving much of her time and effort that resulted in the completion of the 3-meter wide project.

The project was initially started in 2008 up to 2016 by the Public Works department, but it was hugely improved when the Malabon lawmaker reviewed the project and sought for its redesigning.

The megadike’s original plan, however, was changed when LacsonNoel left government service but when she returned in 2019 as the city’s lone congressional representative, she sat down with the mayor as well as city engineers and concerned DPWH officials to review the project.

“We all agreed to return it to its original design and immediately began with the construction by phases and now it’s complete and for sure flooding will no longer be a problem in Barangay Dampalit and its neighboring villages too,” she told The Manila Times.

“I am thankful for the support of the city government and, of course, the DPWH for focusing on the project because I told them that the people of Malabon, especially in Barangay Dampalit, have already been suffering from flooding over the years and this must be stopped,” said the wife of An-waray party-list Rep. Florencio ‘Bem’ Noel.

Lacson-Noel and Oreta led recently other city and DPWH officials in inaugurating the polder dike, which is now being frequented by promenaders, joggers and bikers and has become a local tourist attraction as well.

“With the construction of this elevated polder dike, we can say that perennial flooding in Barangay Dampalit and its neighboring villages would now be a thing of the past and the added bonus is that this is now a regular place for joggers and bikers,” Lacson-Noel said.

According to DPWH, the polder is an earth dike that encloses the lowlying land areas in the villages of Dampalit in Malabon and Tanza in Navotas.

It said that the apparent increase in sea level due to global warming and the unverified ground subsidence are believed to be the main causes of flooding in the affected areas.

The DPWH explained that the dike, like the Dampalit polder with sufficient height and strength, is necessary to inhibit inflow of seawater caused by high tide.

The Malabon lawmaker also broke her silence on reports reaching her office that the megadike project was not her initiative.

“I will continue to work hard in silence and let our accomplishments be our noise,” Lacson-Noel, who is seeking her second consecutive term in the coming May 9 elections, said.