DPWH: Bicol River basin project may cost P75 billion

The preliminary estimated cost of the Bicol River Basin Development Program (BRBDP) is around P75 billion, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Monday.

“This is just a preliminary estimate on the basis of the feasibility study kasi the year cost will be determined after the detailed engineering designs, so all in all, I think it's almost about P75 billion for now,” DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said in a press briefing.

This includes the long-term construction of Sabo Dam in Albay with an estimated cost of P22 billion.

The BRBDP is a project the Marcos administration plans to revisit after it was halted in 1986.

Bonoan said the detailed engineering designs for BRBDP would begin by 2025, while the civil work will likely start by 2026.

Bonoan earlier welcomed the preparations for the reevaluation of BRBDP as a flood control measure, with the assistance from Korean Exim Bank.

The program plans to cut channels and put up diking systems and interceptor channels, among others along the Bicol River.

In the same press briefing, Office of Civil Defense Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno said among the flooded areas in Camarines Sur after Severe Tropical Storm Kristine are Nabua, Baao, Bato, Bula, Minabalac, Mialor, and San Fernando.

Nepomuceno said aside from the downpour, the high tide in San Miguel Bay caused some areas in the Bicol Region to be flooded as water flowed back and did not exit the Bicol River Basin. — BM, GMA Integrated News