Metro Manila flood control project to start January– DOF

MANILA, Philippines — The government aims to start this month the implementation of the $500-million Metro Manila Flood Control Management Project, the Department of Finance (DOF) said yesterday.

In a statement, the DOF said the government plans to start the project’s first phase this month after the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) agreed to co-finance the project.

Of the total project cost, the World Bank and the AIIB will provide $207.603 million each, while the Philippine government will provide $84.794 million.

The first phase involves the rehabilitation of 36 pumping stations in Metro Manila and the construction of 20 new ones in Manila, Pasay, Pasig, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Caloocan, Valenzuela and Quezon City.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will implement the project in close coordination with local governments and key shelter agencies. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2024.

The DOF said the project’s master plan includes a set of measures that are seen to effectively manage major flood events.

Among these measures is the construction of a dam in the upper Marikina River catchment area in order to reduce peak river flows entering Metro Manila during typhoons.

It also aims to eliminate flooding around Laguna de Bay, improve urban drainage, modernize Metro Manila’s pumping stations and improve flood forecasting, early warning systems, and community-based flood risk management.