MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Tuesday called for a national flood-control policy built around one integrated, science-based master plan and one clearly accountable lead authority for every metropolitan area or major river basin, warning that fragmented projects waste public funds and simply push flooding from one community to another.
Pangilinan filed Proposed Senate Resolution 592 seeking an integrated, evidence-based National Flood Management Plan and accounting of flood-control expenditures.
"Water does not recognize political boundaries. If the plans are fragmented, the solutions will be fragmented as well. What happens is that the flooding simply spills over into neighboring towns," Pangilinan said.
"The country’s current flood-control system needs to be overhauled. It should be replaced with a master plan that establishes a single, transparent chain of accountability and measurable results for river basins and metropolitan areas," he added.
Under the proposal, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority would lead planning, coordination, and monitoring across Metro Manila, while projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), local governments, water concessionaires, and other agencies would have to conform to a single metropolitan flood-control master plan.
Outside Metro Manila, DPWH flood-control programs would be organized around entire river basins, such as the Pampanga, Agno, Cagayan, Bicol, Agusan, and Mindanao river basins, rather than congressional districts, provinces, cities, or municipalities.