GABALDON, Nueva Ecija — The Department of Public Works and Highways has completed the P81.4-million flood mitigation structure along Coronel River in Nueva Ecija.

The 830-lineal-meter flood control structure is the first line of defense of the area against the overflowing of Coronel River during typhoon season, according to DPWH.

It will help reduce flood impact to agricultural lands and residential communities, DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan said.

Construction of the dike was funded under the General Appropriations Act of 2022 and implemented by the DPWH Nueva Ecija Second District Engineering Office.

Meanwhile, the DPWH also recently completed the construction of a new multi-purpose building that will serve as safe haven for residents of Barangay North Poblacion in Dipaculao, Aurora in times of disaster and emergency.

In his report to Bonoan, DPWH Aurora District Engineer Roderick A. Andal said the P7.8 million, two storey evacuation center has a total floor area of 170 square meters, a shower area and separate comfort rooms for men, women, and persons with disabilities.

Named Barangay North Poblacion Evacuation Center, it is the fourth evacuation center built by DPWH Aurora DEO in the town of Dipaculao with another shelter facility underway.

The completed MPB can now be utilized by about 2,000 residents of North Poblacion in times of strong typhoons, which is a naturally occurring calamity in the province as it faces the Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean.