A group of concerned government engineers called for the resignation of top officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for admitting that the Philippines has no integrated national flood control plans.
This is despite the massive funding allocated to the department to find solutions for the recurring flooding incidents in Metro Manila and nearby suburbs during heavy rains.
The call was made after Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan said during a recent Senate hearing that there was no national master plan yet to address floods in the Philippines as planning was largely limited per area.
In a statement, the Association of Philippine Government Engineers Inc. (APGEI) also called for a Senate probe on the alleged graft and corruption at the department for the implementation of more than 5,000 flood control projects in the country that did not help ease or alleviate floodings in most parts of Metro Manila during the recent typhoon that struck Luzon.
The group also questioned the designation of DPWH Assistant Secretary Rey Peter Gille, as officer-in-charge Director of Northern Mindanao, replacing engineer Zenaida Tan, who retired.
Gille took the position on top of his existing assignments as Assistant Secretary for the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, and Caraga, according to APGEI.
It was reported that multibillions of funds for various infrastructure projects are set aside in those regions, thus raising doubts about the appointment of Gille, who has close ties with top DPWH officials.
The DPWH gets a massive P822.2 billion budget for 2024, yet flooding remains a big problem while completion of major road projects continues to suffer delays.
Around P255 billion was allocated for the DPWH’s flood control projects in the P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024, which is very large compared to other critical sectors.
It was also suggested that the government conduct lifestyle checks among top DPWH officials, particularly officials that handle multibillion-peso infrastructure projects.
According to Bonoan, there are 18 major river basins in the country and there are existing plans on how to mitigate each river basin, but admitted that many of these plans are still being updated.
The DPWH said similar flooding that inundated most parts of Metro Manila and Bulacan recently will continue to exist in the next 11 years because there is no national flood control master plan that exists.
DPWH Undersecretary Robert Bernardo, the flood control project supervisor in the National Capital Region and Central Luzon and DPWH Undersecretary Cathy Cabral, in-charge for Planning and Public-Private Partnership Service, blamed indiscriminate disposal of garbage in the waterways, causing floods during typhoons.
Meanwhile, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said construction of buildings along waterways contributed largely to the floodings, and the failure of the DPWH to implement a master plan for flood control projects.
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