Dizon: Flood mitigation structures master plans not yet complete

MANILA, Philippines — Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon on Wednesday said various master plans for flood mitigation structures across the country are not yet complete, citing climate change concerns and a lack of plans in some areas. 

Dizon shared this update during the House Committee on Appropriations’ briefing on his agency’s proposed 2027 budget. 

READ: DPWH to implement Cebu’s 2017 flood control masterplan – Dizon

“Hindi pa po kompleto ang ating master plans nationwide,” Dizon said, noting that many river basin master plans across the country are either outdated already or not yet finished. 

(Our master plans nationwide are not yet complete.)

He said that the agency can’t just utilize old master plans or studies from several years ago, as he pointed out the effects of climate change.

“Alam naman po natin given what we have seen with climate change, the updating of master plan is critical because they have a direct impact on the engineering design of the infrastructures that need to be built,” Dizon added.

(We know that given what we have seen with climate change, the updating of the master plan is critical because they have a direct impact on the engineering design of the infrastructures that need to be built.)

He also shared that there is no master plan for the National Capital Region yet, except in some areas such as Quezon City, Pasig City, Marikina City, and Manila City. He noted that many master plans being formed are being patterned with Quezon City’s drainage master plan. 

He then emphasized the importance of coordination among the agencies and regional, provincial, and local authorities to ensure that projects worth millions or billions of pesos are properly accounted for. 

“Kaya pumapasok yung requirement yung regional development councils, provincial development council, local development council or at the very least, certificate of no objection from the LGUs [local government units] para coordinate ang mga proyekto ng DPWH sa ating regional, provincial, local authorities,” he said. 

(This is why the requirement of regional development councils, provincial development council, local development council, or at the very least, a certificate of no objection from the LGUs [local government units] comes into the picture to coordinate the projects of DPWH with our regional, provincial, local authorities.)

No national plan for flood mitigation

In the same hearing, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno asked Dizon if the agency still has no national master plan for flood mitigation. Dizon answered in the affirmative, citing the agency’s strategy. 

Dizon noted that while it has no national flood control master plan, it has master plans per river basin and urban center. 

“Apparently when I asked the same question, ito raw yung recommendation ng ating foreign partners to do it per major river basin and also on per urban center basis especially for drainage master plan,” Dizon answered. 

(Apparently, when I asked the same question, this was the recommendation of our foreign partners to do it per major river basin and also on a per urban center basis, especially for a drainage master plan.)

Diokno also asked Dizon if the executive department is abandoning the idea of coming up with a national flood control master plan. While Dizon said that he thinks the plan is not being neglected, he noted that there are general principles applicable nationwide that are “standard to all the other river basin master plans.”

He said that such general principles include focusing on retarding basins rather than simply putting up dikes, focusing on needs-based approaches, and focusing on upstream intervention rather than downstream interventions. 

The secretary also shared that of all the 18 major river basin master plans across the country, 14 are being updated. He said that the agency asked its consultants to complete the updates by the first half of 2027. 

The agency noted that of the 18 master plans of major river basins, seven are located in Luzon, three in the Visayas, and eight in Mindanao. It underscored that the Japan International Cooperation Agency said master plans must be updated within five years, while the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development advised updating them within three years due to the effects of climate change. 

Dizon then expressed support for the proposed Master Plan on Infrastructure and National Development Act. /mr /jpv