The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will dredge and desilt the Pasig, Dimagla and Pampanga rivers to mitigate flooding in many parts of Luzon during typhoons or heavy rains.
Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the Pampanga River is the second-largest river in Central Luzon and the country’s fifth-longest river, traversing the provinces of Pampanga, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija.
In a radio interview, the DPWH chief said that water from rivers overflowed during heavy rains because river embankments burst due to the absence of trees that hold the soil.
Bonoan announced his department’s plans as another municipality, Lingayen in Pangasinan, declared a state of calamity due to the flooding caused by the enhanced southwest monsoon and Typhoons Egay and Falcon.
As of Aug. 4, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the death toll from the bad weather rose to 29.
Only two have been confirmed, while the remaining 27 are still for validation.
At least 11 people are still missing while 140 to 165 sustained injuries.
The number of total affected people breached 3,028,040 or 805,621, of which, a total of 57,226 people or 15,473 families are staying in 648 evacuation centers while 229,831 individuals or 57,000 families are taking shelter in other places, the NDRRMC said.
About 232 cities and municipalities have declared a state of calamity.
DPWH Region III Director Roseller A. Tolentino said they already deployed dredging equipment and backhoes in Digmala River because it is heavily silted.
“We need additional equipment as we aim to desilt at least 4.4 kilometers of the 10-kilometer stretch of Digmala River,” he said.
The DPWH official said desilting is being undertaken to prevent the recurrence of river overflow that causes flooding in low-lying areas in the town of Bongabon and its surrounding areas.
“With the help of DPWH Bureau of Equipment, we can also create a natural dam or dike with three meters in depth and 20 meters in width that can temporarily hold the flood water and give ample time for the flood waters to subside,” he added.
Silt deposits washed down from the mountainous sections of Aurora and Nueva Ecija to Digmala River led to a decrease in water depth, thereby increasing the risk of overflow and flooding.
When completed, the desilting of Digmala River will protect the low-lying villages not just of Bongabon, but also other flood-prone areas near the Pampanga River. The Digmala River is one of the allied rivers and tributaries of the 260-kilometer Pampanga River.
Bonoan said that DPWH also needs help from local governments and the environment department to strengthen reforestation because soil erosion contributes to flooding.
“Soil in the mountain slopes in Bulacan is very loose. Eroded soil goes down to the rivers and makes the riverbeds shallower,” Bonoan added.
The lack of comprehensive drainage programs in some subdivisions and towns is making the situation worse, Bonoan said.
“Of course, water from the rivers will remain in their area if they have no drainage plans. Again, I think the land use program is also very important so we could see the drainage system and where developments should be located so that we can prevent flooding. We already know which areas are flooded easily and yet, sometimes, we still allow subdivisions to be built,” Bonoan said.
Meanwhile, Bonoan and MMDA Chairperson Romando Artes and other concerned officials in the government’s anti-flood program will be asked to appear in a Senate hearing on the massive flooding in Metro Manila and other parts of the country, said Senator Bong Revilla.
Revilla, chairperson of the Senate committee on public works and highways, lamented that despite billions of pesos allocated for flood control programs, flooding still occurred during the heavy rains.
Senator Christopher Go said he wants an assessment of the DPWH flood control projects, pointing to the country’s vulnerability to floods.
He suggested that the government, particularly DPWH, must have a developmental plan to address flooding. He also said city planning and development departments also have a role in improving infrastructure to mitigate flood risks.
According to a DPWH report, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) has been the hardest hit by Typhoon Egay, incurring a partial cost of damages amounting to P2.3 billion. Among the provinces in CAR, Abra has suffered the most damage at P1.5 billion.
The DPWH report said 16 roads and bridges remain closed to the public due to damage caused by recent weather disturbances.
The DPWH also said it has completed the construction of slope protection structures in Porac, Pampanga worth P78 million to protect residents living close to rivers from floods during times of heavy rain.
DPWH Regional Office 3 Director Roseller Tolentino said that four slope protection structures were completed that would protect the towns of Porac, Guagua, and Lubao in Pampanga.
The department completed the concrete construction of slope protection banks along the Pasig-Potrero River in Barangay Manuali, Porac, and in Barangay Manuali to prevent flooding and soil erosion in residential areas near the Pasig-Potrero River frequently affected by the rapid flow of water caused by excessive rain.
In Guagua, Pampanga, slope protection structures on both sides of the Betis River at Barangay Sta. Ines were also finished to ensure better protection of lives and properties.
The protective structure along Betis River was completed in the amount of P29.39 million funded under the 2023 GAA.
The DPWH through the Pampanga Second District Engineering Office (DEO) has also delivered the completion of two slope protection structures along Sapang Gumi in Barangay Sta. Catalina and Patangue Creek in Barangay San Antonio in Lubao, Pampanga.