ILOILO CITY — At least 63 informal settler families (ISF) living near Mansaya Creek will be relocated to a city-owned lot to give way for the rehabilitation of the waterway.

Peter Jason Millare of the City Local Housing Office said the Mansaya Creek, a tributary of the Iloilo River, is a "dying" waterway and urgently needs rehabilitation.

The restoration of the creek and the relocation of the ISFs will be funded by the Department of Public Works and Highways-Iloilo City District Engineering Office (DPWH-Icdeo), Millare said.

The proposed relocation site is located in a city-acquired land property in Barangay San Isidro, Jaro, occupying an area of 957 square meters.

Millare said an additional 11 ISFs from Sinikway, Lapuz, will also be relocated in the area.

"When DPWH met us, they had already earmarked a budget that is due for implementation this year," he added.

A February 2023 document showed that the DPWH signed a P100.3-million contract for the creek's rehabilitation.

The City Council on Wednesday also passed a Resolution of No Objection, allowing the Icdeo to use the identified lot for the relocation project.

The creek rehabilitation is part of the city's broader waterway greening efforts, which are outlined in the 2021-2029 Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

The initiative includes developments along several major waterways, such as Batiano River, Rizal Creek, Dungon Creek and Mansaya Creek.

In 2022, a revetment wall amounting to P37.3 million was constructed in Mansaya Creek to protect nearby communities from flooding during heavy rains.

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