PUBLIC Works Secretary Vince Dizon has ordered an aggressive response to flooding, landslides and rain-damaged roads across Luzon, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directing the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to prioritize failing flood control structures and critical infrastructure.
Accompanied by Cabinet Secretary Benhur Abalos, Dizon inspected flood-prone areas in Paombong and Hagonoy in Bulacan on Friday, where residents have endured recurring flooding for decades.
Dizon said Marcos specifically directed the DPWH to prioritize the repair of defective and damaged flood control structures in Bulacan.
Among the immediate measures is the sealing of breached structures, while engineers and other experts will assess and develop longer-term interventions to reduce flooding and protect communities.
The need for stronger defenses was underscored by the DPWH’s existing flood control program in Hagonoy, where multiple projects have been carried out in Angat, Hagonoy, Halang, and Labangan waterways.
Dizon also brought the flood fight to La Trinidad, Benguet, where he ordered the deepening of Bolo Creek to protect nearby strawberry farms that have reportedly been repeatedly inundated for more than two decades.
He inspected the landslide “ground zero” in Guisad Surong, Baguio City, where residents were killed and homes were destroyed following weeks of heavy rain.
In Tublay, Benguet, Dizon inspected the Gov. Bado Dangwa National Road, where a curtain-net system helped catch collapsing soil and prevent further deterioration of the highway.
Dizon also inspected the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road in Barangay Beckel, La Trinidad, where a section of the vital highway has collapsed because of continuous rain.
The DPWH has been ordered to immediately repair the road and other road slips in Benguet to restore the important link between Benguet and Nueva Vizcaya.
The repair offensive is not limited to the provinces.
In Metro Manila, DPWH crews continued to patch potholes and repair road damage caused by successive heavy rains.
The work covered major arteries, including E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Luzon Avenue Flyover, Mindanao Avenue, Quezon Avenue Bridge, and the EDSA Santolan Flyover northbound in Quezon City.
Repairs were also being undertaken along M.H. Del Pilar Street in Malabon; Taft Avenue and Plaza Cervantes in Binondo, Manila; Macapagal Boulevard, Roxas Boulevard and Spine Road in Pasay; C5-Kalayaan Avenue in Taguig; and MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela.
