MANILA, Philippines — The administration of Valenzuela Mayor Wes Gatchalian lined up several road and drainage projects for implementation within the year across the city amounting to P2.5 billion.
Gatchalian, interviewed by The Manila Times on Wednesday, said that he presented the infrastructure plans himself during the City Development Council (CDC) meeting which were attended by representatives from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), village chairmen and other key stakeholders.
During the same meeting, Gatchalian said he took time presenting the city government’s accomplishments in roads and drainage projects from 2023 to 2025 under the City Development Fund (CDF) which covered a total of 10.30 kilometers (kms) across 56 roads and 20.71 kilometers of drainage systems, amounting to P565-million.
These initiatives reflect the local government’s continued efforts to improve mobility and mitigate flooding in various communities, according to the city chief executive.
Summarizing different road and flood mitigation projects for 2026 which were prepared by the City Engineering Department. Gatchalian said there would be a total of 45.85kms of road length and 87.70kms of drainage length across 175 roads, and 5.42kms of creek length across 13 waterways amounting to roughly P2.5-billion.
Construction of some of these projects has already started, the local government said.
To further improve public safety and security, Gatchalian said it has been continuously implementing its streetlighting and CCTV (closed-circuit television) projects, which cover approximately 105kms with 3,662 streetlights and 342 CCTV units installed across multiple phases as well the implementation of comprehensive flood control initiatives, which have reached 67 communities from August 2025 to April 2026.
In terms of flood mitigation, the DPWH reported the upgrading of nine pumping stations.
“These efforts are complemented by ongoing rehabilitation and installation projects with a total of 18 pumping units amounting to P776.8 million,” the Valenzuela mayor said.
Citing the coordination between the local and national governments, Gatchalian said Valenzuela has a standing ordinance which calls for a consistent coordination among concerned government agencies “whenever applicable programs or projects are underway.”
“It is clear that every project undertaken by the City of Valenzuela is neither rushed nor based on mere speculation. Each step follows the proper process—from listening to the community’s requests, to thorough inspection and assessment by our offices, to coordination with the villages, among others,” Gatchalian said.
Reaffirming the city government’s commitment to these projects, he said: “Let us continue to act, to plan, to follow the right process, and to implement solutions that have lasting impact—for a Valenzuela that is more ready to face the challenges of the times, safer for everyone, and more progressive for the next generation.”
