Marcos: Issue timely cyclone advisories

MANILA, Philippines — A week after monsoon rains enhanced by Typhoon Carina devastated Metro Manila and nearby provinces, President Marcos instructed agencies to provide timely advisories of upcoming cyclones to ensure public safety.

“We are committed to developing technology to protect lives from future calamities,” Marcos posted on Facebook.

La Niña preparations were discussed yesterday during a sectoral meeting led by Marcos at Malacañang.

Around 1.3 million families or 4.8 million persons in 17 regions, 63 provinces and 4,227 barangays were affected by the combined weather disturbances, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

The death toll was at 39, with nine injured and 732,000 persons in 557 evacuation centers.

Damage to infrastructure reached P4.26 billion and agricultural damage was at P551.78 million.

Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan yesterday said the implementation of the flood control master plan could reduce Metro Manila flooding by 70 to 80 percent.

Asked if the plan would be fully implemented within Marcos’ term, Bonoan said, “Maybe not all, I think we’ll try to maximize whatever we can during this administration.”

Projects such as the Marikina dam and the Parañaque spillway were already in a master plan during the time of Marcos’ late father and namesake, but they were not implemented due to “many sociopolitical issues.”

In a recent interview, Bonoan said the flood management master plan is below 30 percent complete.

The master plan, which requires a P351-billion budget, was approved during the administration of late president Benigno Aquino III in 2012.

In 2013, then public works secretary Rogelio Singson said the plan would only be fully implemented in 2035 as it entails large-scale infrastructure projects.

Aside from the flood control master plan, the government has also crafted a comprehensive drainage master plan that spans 50 to 60 years.

The World Bank has approved the funding for the plan, which seeks to address Metro Manila’s “antiquated” drainage system, according to acting Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Romando Artes.

“We are just waiting for the extension of the loan facility of the World Bank,” Artes said.

Citing a previous study, Bonoan said the small pipes in Metro Manila’s internal drainage system are only about 30 percent efficient.

The remaining 70 percent is silted with garbage, hence the need to rehabilitate them, he noted.

Amending the proposed budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is unnecessary as components of the flood management master plan are already incorporated in its outlay for next year, Bonoan said.

Post contractors detailed info online

State agencies should post online details of contractors for government flood control and management projects, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said on Monday.

Pimentel called on President Marcos to direct the Department of Budget and Management, DPWH and other agencies to post contractors’ information online to promote transparency and accountability.

“Let us pierce the veil of corporate identity by letting the people know who are the individuals, the human beings, who have bagged these lucrative flood control projects,” he added.

Pimentel cited Sen. Joel Villanueva as saying the flood control budget amounted to more than P1 billion daily.

Senators will review the entire budget process during the 2025 national budget deliberations, he noted.

Sen. Grace Poe also called for an inquiry into the underutilized flood control budget following the recent devastation caused by monsoon rains enhanced by Typhoon Carina.

Poe said the DPWH must explain the downward trend in its fund disbursement for flood control and management projects despite getting budget increases in the last five years.

The DPWH received P90 billion in 2020, P101 billion in 2021, P128 billion in 2022, P182 billion in 2023 and P244 billion this year, according to Poe.

Over the past five years, funds allotted to the flood management program comprised about 20 percent of the entire budget allocated to the DPWH annually, increasing to nearly 25 percent of the agency’s budget in 2024. — Cecille Suerte Felipe