Militants oppose lake flood control project
By DJ Yap
Militant groups on Friday raised fears that a P780-million flood control project around Laguna de Bay would displace some 400,000 people in four towns of Laguna province.
Militant groups on Friday raised fears that a P780-million flood control project around Laguna de Bay would displace some 400,000 people in four towns of Laguna province.
Activist groups voiced fear Friday that a P780-million flood control project around Laguna de Bay would displace some 400,000 people in four towns in Laguna province and warned of a revolt if this happened as a result of the “wrecking project in Laguna de Bay.”
The Philippine government plans to move about 100,000 squatters from their homes on crucial waterways in Metro Manila by June as a flood control measure and for their own safety, an official said Saturday.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) flood control master plan for Metro Manila and nearby provinces—which has a total proposed budget of P352 billion—has been included in the agency’s budget allocation for 2013.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has been getting inputs from both local and international experts on flood management and disaster risk reduction as it finalizes the government’s master plan for effective and comprehensive flood control in Metro Manila and outlying areas up to 2035.
Water pumping stations designed to prevent floods in the metropolis are getting a much-needed upgrade after their age and state of disrepair were brought to light by last month’s calamity.
Nearly a month after monsoon rains inundated large parts of Metro Manila, President Aquino and his Cabinet on Tuesday gave the green light for a P351-billion flood-control system that is expected to be completed in 2035.
Nearly a month after monsoon rains caused floods in a large part of the capital, President Aquino and his Cabinet gave the green light on Tuesday for the ambitious P351-billion master plan for flood control management that would be completed in 2035.
Pumping stations in Navotas City which were damaged during last month’s torrential monsoon rains are now back in service, according to the city government which also announced its plan to add more defenses to further prevent flooding in coastal communities.
A system of water collection ponds in flood-prone areas has been offered as a cheap and quick alternative to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) flood-control system that is estimated to cost P352 billion.
Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon said Friday he would like Congress to know and determine how it could help fund and implement the proposed P552-billion master flood control plan by the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Efficient pumping stations and the cleaning of waterways may reduce flooding in the country’s capital but the metropolis can never be fully flood-resistant, the chair of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority told the Senate committee on climate change on Thursday.
Aside from its flood control master plan for Metro Manila and outlying provinces, the Department of Public Works and Highways has completed similar plans for effective and comprehensive flood management of 12 of the 56 river systems throughout the country that are on DPWH’s priority list.
