THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is studying a plan to transform the Candaba Swamp in Pampanga into a large-scale water storage, irrigation and farm transport network aimed at reducing flooding while supporting farming.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Monday said the DA has commissioned a P150-million study with a Vietnamese university and engineering contractors to determine whether the 6,000-hectare Candaba Swamp and other flood-prone areas can be developed into canal systems patterned after those in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta.
Tiu Laurel said the proposed waterways could be as wide as 100 meters and seven meters deep, allowing them to accommodate vessels and connect with tributaries.
“These are not small canals,” he said.
A canal network covering the Candaba Swamp could serve as a massive holding area for excess water during heavy rains, Tiu Laurel said, and that redirecting water into the canals could also allow portions of the swamp to dry out and potentially be used for cultivation.
He added that the waterways could provide an alternative logistics network for agricultural producers. Instead of relying entirely on roads, farmers could use the canals to transport crops and other farm products.
The scale of the proposal, however, could require substantial public investment. The government has yet to determine the project’s final design, cost, and funding structure.
The ongoing study, which is expected to be completed by yearend, will include a funding roadmap, Tiu Laurel said.
The DA has presented the concept to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is also considering other proposals to provide long-term solutions to the perennial flooding that disrupts economic activity in Central Luzon.
The proposal is part of the DA’s broader effort to explore ways of turning flood-prone landscapes into productive agricultural assets.
The agency is studying similar possibilities in other major marshes and river basins, including the Agusan and Ligawasan marshes and the Cagayan River Basin.
If found viable, the Candaba project could combine flood management with irrigation and agricultural logistics, using large-scale water infrastructure to store excess water while expanding productive capacity in farming areas.
