CITY OF SAN FERNANDO The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is eyeing the construction of a comprehensive flood-control project for Central Luzon.
DPWH Senior Undersecretary Senior Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain said they commissioned private firm Woodfields Consultants Inc. for the development of design plan for the project.
The firm is particularly tasked to undertake the comprehensive formulation of effective and efficient plan for the Pampanga River Basin in Central Luzon, one of the areas most frequently affected by flooding.
The project is seen to be for the first major project proposal under President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. administration to curb flooding in Pampanga and Bulacan.
Sadain met with Woodfields consultants on Friday to discuss the possible engineering interventions to mitigate flooding in the two provinces.
He stressed the need to come up with one whole plan for Central Luzon - Pampanga River Floodway Flood Control Project with retarding swamp in San Antonio Swamp and the Pampanga Delta Development Program Phase 2.
He also proposed the widening of river channels and construction of viaduct, dikes, revetment works, cut-off channel, control weirs, floodgates and sluicegates.
The project components of the proposed flood control plan with design consideration of 100-year flood return period will capture the entire flood mitigation for Centfal Luzon from Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Bulacan, added Sadain.
Situated in Central Luzon, the Pampanga River Basin from the mouth of Manila Bay traverses the provinces of Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Bulacan.
Other major river network connected to Pampanga River Basin are Talavera River, Rio Chico River, Pantabangan River, Colonel River, Peñaranda River, Sacobia River, San Miguel River and Angat River.
Officials of the Korea Eximbank, in their courtesy visit at the DPWH Central Office last August, has earlier expressed Korean government’s interest to support President Marcos administration’s pipeline projects by increasing their Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) Official Development Assistance.