THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will replicate a flood control strategy, combining pumping stations and dredging in other flood-prone areas after initial flood-control improvements in a Bulacan community, Secretary Vince Dizon said on Tuesday.
Dizon said the approach, which involves pumping out excess water, managing river flows, and increasing waterways capacity through dredging, would be expanded to other areas facing similar flooding problems.
He said the effort was still in its early stages, with additional dredging equipment expected to be deployed to improve drainage and water flow.
Dizon also said the DPWH district office in Bulacan would begin work on rehabilitating a stalled pumping station using a simplified design to reduce construction costs.
The savings would be used to acquire additional pumping equipment, allowing the government to expand the approach to more communities, he said.
He explained that the pumping stations aim to prevent creeks and esteros from overflowing during heavy rains, a recurring problem that causes flooding.
Under the strategy, gates would remain open when river levels are low to allow water to flow naturally.
When high tides cause river levels to rise, the gates will be closed and pumps activated to flush excess water from affected areas.
Dredging would complement the pumping operations by removing accumulated sediment and increasing the amount of water that creeks and other waterways can carry, the top DPWH official said.
Dizon said the same approach would be applied in other flood-prone areas, including parts of Metro Manila, Cebu and Pampanga.
He specifically cited Calumpit, Masantol, Macabebe and Sasmuan in Pampanga, where he said local DPWH officials had been instructed to adopt similar measures.
