By Erika Mae P. Sinaking,Reporter
THE government of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. is accelerating flood control and drainage projects in Metro Manila and nearby provinces after heavy rains from the southwest monsoon exposed persistent weaknesses in the capital’s flood management system, with officials warning that major solutions could take years to complete.
Public Works Secretary Vivencio “Vince” B. Dizon said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is pursuing immediate measures such as declogging waterways, dredging rivers and deploying mobile pumps while preparing bigger drainage and flood mitigation projects for inclusion in the 2027 national budget.
“There are small improvements that we are seeing, but it’s not enough,” he told a news briefing in Filipino on Tuesday. “We just have to keep working at it, we have to keep fast-tracking the projects. What’s important is that the projects should be appropriate.”
Recent flooding has renewed concerns about Metro Manila’s aging drainage systems, rapid urbanization, limited water-retention areas and the tendency of major waterways to overflow during prolonged rainfall.
Mr. Dizon said the government’s strategy ranges from clearing waterways and installing temporary pumping equipment to building detention basins, improving drainage networks and developing large-scale river and dam projects.
The DPWH is requiring flood control projects to be coordinated with local government units (LGUs) and aligned with local development and drainage plans.
“In fact, we don’t move there without the LGUs knowing and not in accordance with their master plan,” Mr. Dizon said.
He added that projects proposed under the 2027 budget would require certifications from regional and local development councils and local governments.
The DPWH is also updating its flood control master plan, which Mr. Dizon said is expected to be completed by yearend.
“It has definitely gone up,” he said. “I just don’t know the exact figure — whether it’s 50, 60 or 70%. But the commitment given to me by those handling the work and updates is that it will be finished by the end of the year.”
SHORT-TERM INTERVENTIONSMr. Dizon said the government could not wait for the completion of the master plan before starting projects in flood-prone areas. Existing plans of local governments, including Quezon City, Valenzuela, Navotas, Manila and Pasig are already being used as bases for coordination and implementation.
The agency is also preparing short-term interventions along major roads.
Mr. Dizon said four cross-drainage projects along España Boulevard are undergoing initial inspections and are scheduled to start in September. More drainage improvements are being proposed under the 2027 budget.
The DPWH was allocated P644 billion under the proposed 2027 budget, up 21.5% from this year. The agency is the second-biggest recipient in the proposed spending plan after the Department of Education.
The funding increase comes as flood control spending is set to recover after allocations were reduced in 2026 amid investigations into irregularities in some projects.
Mr. Dizon said the government is also focusing on the San Juan River, where mobile pumps are being operated jointly by the DPWH and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
“We will also conduct further dredging, as that is where we observed a truly significant impact,” he said.
The government is studying a detention basin upstream of the river, including a possible site in Barangay Kaingin Bukid in Quezon City. Such facilities temporarily store rainfall before releasing water into rivers after water levels recede.
Other possible impounding sites being considered include Camp Aguinaldo, Liwasang Bonifacio and Rajah Soliman, although these remain in the planning stage.
Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said National Irrigation Administration Administrator Eduardo “Eddie” G. Guillen is coordinating with the DPWH on proposed dam projects along the Pampanga and Marikina rivers.
Mr. Dizon said upstream dams in areas such as the Sierra Madre mountain range could help regulate water flowing toward downstream communities.
“I second that, upstream interventions are important,” he said. “If you have a dam upstream, the water flow can be controlled.”
Ms. Castro added that the Japan International Cooperation Agency-backed flood control project along the Marikina River is 53% complete.
The project includes floodgates and pumping stations designed to manage water flows along the Manggahan Floodway and could reduce flooding in about 63% of the Pasig-Marikina River Basin, she said.
The DPWH is also advancing flood control projects in Bulacan, including works in Calumpit involving dikes and pumping stations. Mr. Dizon said projects in Barangays Cagison, Frances and Bulusan started at the end of May and are targeted for completion by the first quarter of next year.
Flood control works in Hagonoy and Paombong, including proposed seawalls, remain in the planning stage.
Mr. Dizon acknowledged that Metro Manila’s flooding problem could be solved within a single administration.
“We cannot do everything within this administration, it has to be a continuing effort for the next couple of administrations,” he said. “Holistic solutions take time. There are no overnight fixes for this problem. After all, we’ve been experiencing floods for decades.”