DPWH: Engineering interventions only part of solution vs. floods

Engineering interventions are only part of the solution in mitigating the floods plaguing the country every rainy season, noting there are other factors that should be considered, said Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan on Thursday. 

“Ang engineering intervention is just one component of flood mitigation. Marami yung other factors that may cause yung flooding problems, hindi lang engineering intervention. Kailangan din natin pagtuunan ng pansin ang environment  issues….Dito sa Metro Manila, yung pinag uusapan natin, ay kahit mayroon na tayong ginagawang mga interventions, kung ganun pa rin yung basura sa loob, hindi lang makadaloy yung tubig baha sa loob papunta sa mga pumping stations,” he said in an interview on “Balitanghali”. 

(Engineering intervention is just one component of flood mitigation. There are many other factors that may cause flooding problems, not just engineering intervention. We also need to pay attention to environmental issues…. Here in Metro Manila, what we are talking about is, even though we have interventions in place, if there is still garbage in the sewage system, the floodwater inside will not be able to flow to the pumping stations.) 

Parts of the country, especially in Luzon, are flooded due to the heavy downpour brought by the Southwest Monsoon, or Habagat, as well as by the series of storms from Crising, Dante and Emong. 

Climate action group Aksyon Klima Pilipinas earlier called on lawmakers to conduct a legislative inquiry into the status and implementation of flood control projects nationwide and their effectiveness in mitigating flooding in their respective areas. 

Further, the DPWH chief said that floods are inevitable now. 

“Hindi naman siguro mawawalan lahat ng pagbaha….Yung severe weather, may climate change po tayo ngayon, hindi naman siguro natin totally mawalan ng baha. Even yung mga mauunlad na mga bansa, ganun din yung kanilang mga problema ngayon, yung mga climate change phenomenon na sinasabi natin,” said Bonoan.

(Flooding will always occur ... .With severe weather, we also have climate change now, maybe we won't completely eliminate flooding. Even developed countries, they have the same problems now, the climate change phenomena that we are talking about.) 

To recall, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  vetoed or removed at least P16.7 billion worth of flood control projects in various regions nationwide under the P6.326 trillion national budget for 2025.

But Marcos earlier instructed concerned government agencies to ensure the safety of the people amid the floods in Metro Manila and several other provinces, and to deliver assistance to flood victims quickly. — RF, GMA Integrated News