Marcos orders Water Resources Management Office to plan NCR, coastal areas protection from floods

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has tasked the Water Resources Management Office (WRMO) to come up with a comprehensive plan to protect coastal communities and Metro Manila from flooding amid the rainy season.

The said office is under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Marcos made the directive during a meeting on Tuesday with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) about its flood control programs and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on the management of dammed rivers.

Marcos mentioned that the estimated cost of flood control projects of the DPWH in Metro Manila and its surrounding areas was at P351 billion. He said there should be the construction of water impounding facilities to manage the country’s water resources.

“Pinapatingnan ko kung papaano ang kailangan, ano pa ‘yung dadagdag natin. Malaki, bilyon-bilyon na ang ginagastos natin para maglagay ng mga dike, maglagay ng mga waterway, mga spillway, pati pumping station dito sa NCR ay napag-usapan namin para mas marami at maging mas efficient ang paglabas ng tubig,” Marcos said.

(I tasked them to check those we need to add. We already spent a huge amount for this, for the construction of dikes, waterways, spillways, and even the pumping station here in NCR so that the flow of water would be sufficient.)

“Bukod doon ay papaano natin, huwag natin naman sana tinatapon ‘yung tubig dahil ay kailangan na natin ‘yang tubig na ‘yan. So gumagawa rin kami ng paraan para maipon ang tubig.” he said.

(Aside from that, let us not just throw the water because we need that. We are doing ways to save and store the water.)

Marcos also said the government is looking for locations outside Metro Manila where it can put up large impounding areas to control water flow and avoid flooding.

“Para doon natin kokontrolin, hindi na papasok dito sa Maynila, at mayroon pa tayong naipon na tubig para sa agrikultura, para sa iba’t ibang gamit,” Marcos said.

(We will control from there, so that the water will not enter Manila, and we will store water for other purposes, including agriculture.)

Officials also discussed the ongoing flood control projects in Pampanga, Cavite, Leyte and Cagayan De Oro City during the meeting, as well as the construction of access roads leading to irrigation areas identified by the NIA under the Katubigan Program implemented jointly with the DPWH.

This included the rainwater collection system program under Republic Act No. 6716, with a total cost of P5.86 billion for the construction and installation of 6,002 rainwater collection systems in various parts of the country.

Among the major flood control projects that are on the pipeline include the flood protection infrastructures in the Abra River Basin, Ranao River Basin and Tagum-Libuganon River Basin, and the Central Luzon-Pampanga River Floodway Flood Control Project, among others. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News