DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon revealed that they would allocate funding for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) Master Plan and Feasibility Study on Flood Control and Drainage in Davao City.
Dizon admitted that the Jica master plan has not yet been implemented and that they are looking into allocating funds for it in 2027.
Since it is still a plan, he said there are still no detailed engineering designs for it.
“That would take time, buwan pa ang bibilangin no’n pero hindi ako papayag na wala naman tayong gagawin dito pagkatapos noong nangyari noong Friday,” he said on July 29, 2026, during his visit in Barangay Talomo Proper in Davao City.
He said that they would rush to submit the allocated funding for the master plan in the 2027 budget since they had already submitted their budget plan for the next year.
In a document obtained from the Jica website, entitled “Environmental Impact Statement: Project for Master Plan and Feasibility Study on Flood Control and Drainage in Davao City,” which was published in 2023, it stated that the study aims to mitigate water-induced disasters in Davao City.
The project covers 13 barangays, namely Bucana, 1, 2, 5, 8, 19-B, Maa, Waan, Tigatto, Mandug, New Carmen, New Valencia, and Callawa.
The project is composed of three phases: the pre-construction phase, construction phase, and operation phase. Under the construction phase, multiple infrastructure projects would be constructed, such as retarding ponds, cut-off works cum bridges, and river dredging.
“Flood control is a necessary precautionary measure to ensure that the damages caused by flooding are kept to the bare minimum,” it said.
The study further stated the project components and duration, detailing how river dredging would “supposedly” start in 2025 until 2030, covering the mouth of the Davao River up to the 23-kilometer upstream area.
The cut-off works-cum-bridges that supposedly would start in 2025 in Barangay 19-B, Maa, and Tigatto, aims to shorten the river line and increase the flow capacity of discharging floodwater to the sea. Two access bridges would then be constructed.
From 2030 to 2035, three retarding ponds would be constructed to retain water, especially during severe weather conditions that are expected to generate flooding. The retention ponds would be constructed in Mandug, New Carmen, New Valencia, and Callawa. The size of the ponds would be 1.79 square kilometers or 179 hectares.
Dizon’s statement came after a social media post went viral online regarding the project allegedly not being funded due to the political climate between the local government unit and the national government.
As of 2:30 p.m., the social media post had garnered about 7,200 reactions, more than 1,000 comments, and 3,000 shares on Facebook. It provided a detailed timeline of how the study was conducted and stated that it was awaiting funding.
Pulong slams DPWH over Jica master plan’s delayed implementation
Meanwhile, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte criticized the DPWH over the delayed implementation of the JICA-backed Davao Flood Control Master Plan, saying it had remained unacted upon despite being submitted to the national government in 2023.
In a statement issued the same day, Duterte questioned why funding for the project would only be proposed under the 2027 General Appropriations Act. He urged DPWH officials to review their records, identify those responsible for the delay, and prioritize the immediate implementation of long-term flood control measures for Davao City.
“The people of Davao deserve better than delayed promises. They deserve accountability, decisive leadership, and the immediate implementation of a flood control plan that should have started years ago,” he said.
Duterte said he was upset that residents of Talomo had to experience severe flooding despite the existence of the master plan. He said the plan had already been submitted to the DPWH in 2023, and records showed who had failed to implement the project.
“Ug di pud nato himuong sayon ang problema. Flood control is not just about dredging. It requires funding, river improvements, dikes, drainage systems, watershed management, and implementation of a long-term master plan,” he said.
(And we should not oversimplify the problem either. Flood control is not just about dredging. It requires funding, river improvements, dikes, drainage systems, watershed management, and the implementation of a long-term master plan.)
The congressman then stressed that the DPWH should stop pointing fingers and look into itself before pointing fingers at others.
To recall, former DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar and Jica Philippines Office Chief Representative Yoshio Wada signed the Records of Discussions (RD) on April 23, 2018, to conduct a feasibility study to prevent flooding in Davao City.
The signing of the RD was held at the DPWH Central Office, Port Area, Manila, and was witnessed by DPWH Undersecretary Emil K. Sadain, DPWH Unified Project Management Office - Flood Control Management Cluster Director Patrick B. Gatan, DPWH-UPMO Project Manager Rogelio Ang, Jica Expert Takafumi Nakui, Jica Philippines Senior Representative Ayumu Ohshima, and JICA Philippines Economic Growth Group Representative Atsushi Shibata.
The feasibility study was expected to be finalized within the 24-month time frame, which could then be used in implementing projects to prevent flooding in Davao City. RGP
