Marcos: Gov't using innovative measures to address flood woes

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Wednesday ensured that his administration was exhausting innovative measures to address the country's flood problems.

Marcos made the remark during the inauguration of the Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Project - Stage 1 (IDRR - CCA 1) in Masantol, Pampanga.

"With climate change and with the effects [as well as] increasing overpopulation, we expect that we will experience more and more of these historic flooding events. For flood control to work, we must do our part in maintaining our canals and waterways, and in recycling and properly disposing of our garbage," Marcos said.

"Rest assured that this government is working and doing all it can to pursue initiatives and programs to protect our citizens and the environment, to innovate [on] current trends in disaster risk reduction and management, as well as to ensure heightened climate responsibility and justice," he added.

A day after Metro Manila and nearby provinces were placed under a state of calamity last month amid the onslaught of the Southwest Monsoon enhanced by Super Typhoon Carina, Marcos pointed to climate change and trash as causes of the massive flooding.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan, meanwhile, recently said that 70% of Metro Manila's internal drainage system is blocked by garbage and silt, which caused flooding in some areas amid the Habagat and Carina.

During his third State of the Nation of Address (SONA), the President reported that over 5,000 flood control projects had been completed.

Also on Wednesday, Marcos said Pampanga has repeatedly suffered loss of lives and damage to property due to heavy flooding.

"So, it had to be addressed through the construction of these flood control structures. In response, the Philippine government, with the technical and financial assistance from the Korean government, developed a study which became the foundation for the construction of structural measures that we now have the privilege to inaugurate," he said.

Marcos said the IDRR-CCA 1 costs more than P7 billion as it aims to mitigate flood damage by increasing the discharge capacity of the Third River, the Eastern Branch River, the Sapang Maragul River, and the Caduang Tete River.

To fully realize the project's benefits and provide long-term solutions to flooding in Pampanga, he tasked the Department of Public Works and Highways to ensure that the Stage 2 of the IDRR-CCA will proceed as scheduled.

Pampanga was placed under a state of calamity due to the effects of the Habagat and Carina. — VDV, GMA Integrated News