Marcos: Master plan vs floods kicks off now
President Marcos said on Wednesday that a flood control master plan, which had been ignored for decades, would finally be implemented.
He made the remarks after conducting an inspection of the Aquino and Agana bridges in Tarlac City, which both partially collapsed because of strong river currents and continuous heavy rains spawned by the southwest monsoon, or “habagat.”
“We already have a master plan; it’s just never been executed,” Mr. Marcos said when asked about the flood control master plan.
“We’re only executing it now. We have had a master plan for decades, but nothing was done about it until now. We’re only starting it now. We’re only doing it now,” he added.
Discussions about a flood control master plan were prompted by widespread flooding in many parts of the country, particularly in Luzon, since last month after the country was hit by three successive cyclones and the enhanced habagat.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has so far reported 39 fatalities, with 20 others injured and three more missing.
Around 2.7 million families, or around 9.4 million individuals, have also been displaced by the floods.
Mr. Marcos, meanwhile, said the government would allocate P300 million for the rehabilitation of the Agana and Aquino bridges.
Repair of bridges
According to him, Agana Bridge could reopen to pedestrians within one week and to light vehicles weighing 10 tons or less within two weeks. But the Aquino Bridge could take longer to reopen due to the extent of the damage it suffered.
Malacañang has repeatedly called for the implementation of long-term flood control measures, including improved waterways, drainage systems and proper land-use planning, as the government responds to increasingly intense rainfall linked to climate change.
The President also directed agencies and local governments to enforce existing laws and no-build zones, saying disaster preparedness and compliance with regulations are necessary to reduce the impact of severe weather events.
At the same time, he assured the public that the government would “continue to adapt” to changing extreme weather events brought about by climate change.
During a Senate hearing in 2024, then Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan admitted that despite the billions of pesos that had been allocated for years for flood control programs, the country still lacks an integrated flood control master plan.
A year later, Bonoan would be linked to the multibillion-peso flood control controversy, leading to the filing of plunder and graft charges against him before the Sandiganbayan in May this year.
Charged with him were Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Department of Public Works and Highways officials in connection with an alleged P573-million kickback scheme from 2025 budget insertions and infrastructure project allocations.
The charges against Bonoan, however, have reportedly been dropped after the Office of the Ombudsman earlier said it wanted to tap him as a state witness. —WITH A REPORT FROM PNA
