PHL Revisits Flood Master Plan Amid Intensifying Climate Risks

THE government is reviewing the country’s flood control master plan after recent severe weather exposed gaps in existing flood management measures, with Malacañang acknowledging that plans crafted by previous administrations were never fully implemented. “There was already a master plan as far back as the 1930s and 1940s,” Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro told reporters on Thursday in Filipino. “But it was not followed through in the past decades.” Ms. Castro made the remarks after President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said a day earlier that the country already had a flood control master plan but that “it’s just never been executed.” She said Public Works Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon is reviewing the flood management master plan prepared during the administration of the late President Benigno S.C. Aquino III under then-Public Works Secretary Rogelio L. Singson, as well as separate plans for major river basins nationwide. “These will have to be consolidated, reviewed and updated,” Ms. Castro said. “As the President also stated in the previous meeting, the necessary course of action needs to be updated to align with the potential impacts of climate change, since past measures or plans may no longer be suitable given those effects.” Ms. Castro said experts had found that earlier flood control plans were left unimplemented, contributing to recurring flooding problems. She said the Department of Public Works and Highways is now prioritizing projects covering major river basins to help reduce the impact of heavy rains and storms. She also said there were questions about the whereabouts of the Aquino-era master plan. Former Public Works Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan told her he did not have the plan despite reports that it had been endorsed during the administration of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, Ms. Castro said. Mr. Dizon has since coordinated efforts involving both the Aquino-era plan and river basin flood management programs, she said. Ms. Castro said the administration intends to make its flood control and climate adaptation plans public to encourage broader participation in identifying obstructions and other factors worsening floods. She said the Philippines would continue facing stronger storms, heavier rainfall and rising sea levels because of climate change. “Failure to address the issue of climate change would have significant repercussions on food supply, crops, commodity prices, inflation rates, and public debt, as well as pose health risks such as leptospirosis and dengue,” Ms. Castro said. She added that Mr. Marcos has ordered government agencies led by the Climate Change Commission and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to accelerate climate action efforts. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking