MANILA, Philippines — Thousands of residents in Sto. Tomas, Pampanga have endured nearly three weeks of flooding, prompting Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon to push a long-term, integrated solution that includes deepening tributaries of the Pampanga River and building a massive detention basin to hold excess floodwater.
Dizon said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered an integrated plan to address the recurring flooding, including the deepening of tributaries feeding the Pampanga River and the construction of a large detention basin capable of temporarily storing excess rainwater.
The measures, he said, would be undertaken once the rain stops.
Dizon said there will be no instant fix, but the prolonged flooding in Sto. Tomas has underscored the urgency of building a system capable not only of draining excess water faster, but also of storing and eventually putting that water to productive use.
“This is a complicated problem. There is no fast solution,” he said, stressing that the government needs an integrated approach rather than isolated flood-control projects.
The Pampanga River basin has long been among Central Luzon’s most flood-vulnerable areas.
