MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Public Works and Highways will work nonstop in coordination with local government units (LGUs) to address the perennial flooding problem
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said over the weekend that the DPWH and other concerned agencies, in coordination with LGUs, will not stop until the flooding problem across the country is addressed.
Dizon said that the clearing and cleaning of waterways, particularly in flood-prone areas, must be done on a regular basis to curb flooding.
"The government is continuously cleaning, dredging, and desilting rivers, canals, and other waterways in flood-prone areas to alleviate flooding,” he said.
The government, Dizon said, is also widening rivers, building retention ponds, and reactivating cut-off channels to ease flooding.
This follows the order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to intensify and extend the Oplan Kontra Baha (OKB) to ensure the government's preparedness for the rainy season.
“Before we do a project, we make sure that what we are doing will really help. There are many things we can do that don't require us to spend billions of pesos. Like what we are doing now in OKB, all we need is proper equipment," the DPWH chief said.
