Marcos urges support for flood control projects, Pasig River rehabilitation

Over 5,000 flood control projects were completed in the past two years, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. reported during his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

“Noong Enero, inilungsad natin ang 'Kalinisan sa Bagong Pilipinas,' kung saan pinakilos natin ang ating mga barangay upang maglinis sa kani-kanilang komunidad. Sa limang buwan lamang, mahigit 40,000 tonelada ng basura ang nakolekta ng mahigit 22,000 mga baranagy sa buong bansa,” Marcos said.

(In January, we launched "Kalinisan sa Bagong Pilipinas" in which we mobilized our barangays to clean up their communities. Over 22,000 barangays nationwide collected more than 40,000 tons of garbage in five months.)

The President noted that many more flood control efforts were being developed nationwide, among the more noteworthy being the "Pasig Bigyan Buhay Muli" (PBBM), which aims to transform the Pasig River into a center of economic activity, tourism, and transportation connectivity in Metro Manila and adjacent provinces.

The president also mentioned the flood risk management projects at the Pampanga and Cagayan de Oro Rivers.

“Ang flood risk management project sa Cagayan de Oro River, na magbibigay ng pangmatagalang proteksyon sa mahigit 600 ektarya ng lupa at at 60,000 nating kababayan,” Marcos noted.

(The flood risk management project in the Cagayan de Oro River will provide long-term protection to more than 600 hectares of land and 60,000 locals.)

“Inaasahan ko ang tuloy-tuloy na suporta ng mga lokal na pamahalaan sa paglilinis ng ating pamayanan,” he added.

(I am hoping for the continuous support of local government units in cleaning up our communities.)

In January 2024, Marcos vowed that the rehabilitation of the Pasig River would be people-centered and community-driven, as he authorized the relocation of informal settlers along the riverbank.

Last year, Marcos formed the Inter-Agency Council for the Pasig River Urban Development as part of the government’s response to the urgent need to rehabilitate and enhance the quality of life along the Pasig River.

He further stressed that the development of river infrastructures was "sustained, strategic, and on schedule."

Moreover, aside from agriculture and disaster risk management, other vital sectors such as education, health, energy, low-cost housing, transportation, and information technology would benefit from the aggressive infrastructure development, bringing the government closer to its “upper-middle-income economic target.”

“With the results that we have seen two years into this administration, we can claim that, despite challenges, we are steadily progressing, heading towards our targets in the medium term,” Marcos added. — DVM, GMA Integrated News