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DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Five years after a flood-control dike along the Talomo River displaced families from their riverbank homes in NHA Bangkal, barangay Talomo Proper, residents say the project protected the area from flooding but undermined their housing stability.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) built the dike in 2021 to protect flood-prone areas along Purok 59, 60 and 75 from rising river water. 

Households along the riverbank were ordered to dismantle and move their homes inland or face demolition by the project implementers.

Residents said the compensation they received after demolition varied by the size and materials of their structures. 

Sisters Naira and Haideya of Purok 60 said they each received 40,000 for homes they estimated had cost about 100,000 to build. Neighbors in Purok 75 reportedly resisted demolition until offered higher payouts.

“There used to be a lot of people here, but some were forced to move out or went home to their provinces,” Naira said in Bisayâ.

The sisters rebuilt smaller shanties, using scraps of fiber-cement board to fortify interiors. 

“Whenever the winds blow strongly, we would feel the house shake. When there’s heavy rain, water would drip from the ceiling,” Naira said.

Naira’s previous house had been larger, made of fiber-cement boards with a metal frame. 

Although the dike has reduced river flooding for some, residents say it has not eliminated all flooding. 

Gary, a resident of Purok 60, recalled floodwaters reaching chest level during heavy rain on May 18. He said rainwater drains slowly because the dike blocks flow to the river and there is a lack of adequate drainage. 

A planned drainage canal is expected to pass through part of the property where Naira’s family rebuilt. 

“They’re not going to construct the canal anytime soon, but when the time comes, I just plant to build a second floor to compensate for the space lost,” she said. – Marianne Guinoo, UP Mindanao Intern/davaotoday.com