DPWH to prioritize destroying illegal flood structures – Dizon

MANILA, Philippines — Instead of expensive and graft-ridden flood control projects that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is trying to get rid of, focus is shifting to measures intended to clear waterways of garbage and illegal structures, possibly beginning in January,  according to Secretary Vince Dizon.

At a forum organized by the Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG) on Wednesday, Dizon appealed to local executives for support for  his department’s “Oplan Kontra Baha.”

“If we can agree on doing this next year, hopefully, as early as January, February, or first quarter of next year, we can start implementation,” Dizon said at the forum.

Oplan Kontra Baha, Dizon said, will also focus on the repair or completion of pumping stations that either do not work, or are non-operational despite being completed.

Waste segregation systems and programs would be implemented in all cities and towns with flood problems.

Following earlier rollouts in Metro Manila and Cebu City, the DPWH also launched Oplan Kontra Baha in Bacolod City on Friday, in line with President Marcos’ directive to intensify flood-mitigation initiatives nationwide.

Under the program, DPWH aims to clean and desilt 169 kilometers of rivers, creeks, and esteros across Bacolod, as well as 116 kms of drainage systems.