MANILA, Philippines—Metro Manila residents would have to bear flooding for 10 more years due to lack of funds for major flood control projects, an official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Thursday.

“We have the right plans conceptualized way back in the 1970s but these were not implemented because we cannot get foreign funding,” said Patrick Gatan, the DPWH director handling major flood control projects.

Of 15 projects that could have really saved people in Metro Manila from floods, nine have not yet been started, he said.

Gatan noted that the government did not consider these priority projects.

He said the projects included the Valenzuela-Obando-Meycauayan Area Drainage System Improvement project, costing P10.8 billion; the Integrated Drainage Improvement Project in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and surrounding areas, P7.9 billion; and the Drainage Improvement in the Core Area of Metropolitan Manila (which could have prevented perennial flooding in 73 square kilometers of Metro Manila), P15.3 billion.

The other projects are the East Manggahan Floodway Area Flood Mitigation Project, P8.3 billion; the San Juan River Flood Control Project, P5.7 billion; the Upper Marikina River Improvement Project, P3.008 billion; the Marikina Dam Project, P4 billion; the Marikina Spillway (a 7.5-km flood mitigation project in the Laguna lakeshore area, which will help discharge lake water), P17.6 billion; and the 60-km South to West Laguna Lakeshore Dike Project, P 9 billion.