The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is working with foreign consultants and local governments to develop short, medium, and long-term measures that will address flooding in Pampanga and Bulacan.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the agency is consulting experts from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Haskoning Philippines Inc. on flood management strategies.
Dizon recently met with representatives of said institutions to discuss possible interventions, including nature-based solutions such as bamboo cribbing, earth dikes and the use of mangroves.
The initiative covers flood-prone areas in the Northern Manila Bay region, particularly Hagonoy and Paombong in Bulacan and Masantol, Macabebe and Obando.
The meeting was initiated after Dizon inspected flood-affected areas in Masantol and Macabebe, Pampanga, on Tuesday, September 23.
Together with local officials, the DPWH official visited the area to identify immediate interventions while longer-term plans are being developed.
He said the DPWH will assist local governments in implementing immediate flood management measures, while consultations with foreign experts continue for more sustainable solutions.
Dizon also said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the DPWH to prioritize highly populated areas and pursue the dredging of Pampanga River and its tributaries as immediate flood management measures.
