Groups urge DPWH top officials to resign
Various sectors called for the resignation of top officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for admitting that the Philippines has no integrated national flood control plans despite massive funding, resulting in the continuous flooding incidents in Metro Manila and nearby suburbs during heavy rains.
The call was made after Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan admitted during a senate hearing that there was no national master plan yet to address floods in the Philippines as planning was largely limited per area.
The public also called for a senate probe on the alleged graft and corruption at the department for the implementation of more than 5,000 flood control projects in the country but did not help ease or alleviate floodings in most parts of Metro Manila during the recent typhoon that struck Luzon.
Several groups also questioned the designation of DPWH Asst. Secretary Rey Peter B. Gille, as officer-in-charge, as Director of Region X, vice Engr. Zenaida T. Tan who retired , in a current capacity to his existing assignment as Assitant Secretary for CAR, Regions 1, II, IX, X, XI, XII and XIII.
It was reported that multi-billions of funds for various infrastructure projects are being planned in that areas.
A number of qualified DPWH engineers were bypassed by the appointment, saying the designation of Gille disappoints qualified and upright DPWH engineers for promotion.
The DPWH gets a massive P822.2 billion budget for 2024, yet flooding remains a big problem while completion of major road projects continue to suffer delays.
Around P255 billion was allocated for the DPWH’s flood control projects in the P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024, which is very large compared to other critical sectors.
According to Bonoan, there are 18 major river basins in the country and there are existing plans on how to mitigate each river basin, but admitted that many of these plans are still being updated.
The DPWH said that similar flooding that inundated most parts of Metro Manila and Bulacan recently will continue to exist in the next 11 years because there is no national flood control master plan that exists.
Bonoan said the master plan on flood management in Metro Manila is not even 30% complete, more than a decade after it was approved.
Bonoan said the DPWH has already completed 5,000 flood control projects since he assumed office but with the onslaught of typhoon Carina and Habagat last week, floodwaters continue to inundate a large area of Metro Manila. However, he was not able to identify the exact location of these flood control projects.
DPWH Undersecretary Robert Bernardo, the flood control project supervisor in the National Capital Region and Central Luzon and DPWH Undersecretary Cathy Cabral, in-charge for Planning and Public-Private Partnership Service, blamed indiscriminate disposal of garbage in the waterways, causing floods during typhoons.
Meanwhile, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said construction of buildings along waterways contributed largely to the floodings, and the failure of the DPWH to implement a master plan for flood control projects.
On the other hand, the multi billion-peso flood control projects in Bulacan—the Meycauayan river improvements and the Obando Dike Flood Control Project were neglected and some parts had collapsed, causing flood waters to overflow.
These flood control projects, including local flood control projects in Bulacan province are under the control of DPWH Bulacan 1st District Engineer Henry Alcantara.
Bernardo and Cabral allegedly approved all flood control projects implemented in the province of Bulacan, particularly in Obando but these massive projects failed to protect most parts of the province, and even inundated northern parts of Metro Manila.
Central Luzon, including Bulacan and Metro Manila also experienced severe floods last week that damaged billions of pesos in infrastructures .
The number of people who died from the onslaught of Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon has reached to 36, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council , while the amount of damage caused by the bad weather to infrastructure has reached more than P1.6 billion.
During the Senate hearing, Sen. Joel Villauneva brought up Bonoan’s promise last year that the Central Luzon – Pampanga Floodway will commence this 2024. The DPWH chief said that the project could help mitigate the flooding in Bulacan and Pampanga.
