Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan on Tuesday, Aug. 8, defended the agency’s flood-control projects amid mounting criticisms of unresolved problem of flooding.
DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan (RTVM screenshot)
Although the official admitted that there are some delays in the projects, Bonoan maintained that these are just on the smaller projects and that “most of them are ongoing right now.”
“Let me put it this way, I can only speak for what we started, actually we have just been in this administration for one year and the projects that we are implementing for flood-control projects under the 2023 budget (are) ongoing,” he said during a Palace briefing.
The secretary was asked to give a status of DPWH’s flood-control projects given the perennial problem of flooding, the latest of which occurred in Bulacan and Pampanga.
“This amount is distributed all over the country. They are ongoing and they are on track actually. Wala namang… doon kasi sa budget namin (There is no… in our budget), we have two years to implement all these projects,” he said, referring to the quoted P180 billion for the agency’s ongoing flood-control projects.
But Bonoan stressed that some delays in the projects cannot be avoided because for “flood-control projects in some areas, meron naman mga issues (there are issues) on right of way, acquisition of areas, and some weather disturbances.”
Meanwhile, the DPWH chief said that they need to look into the proposed impounding system in Candaba, Pampanga, which President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said was a long-term solution for the flooding problem there.
“Sabi nga ng Presidente (As the President said), I think desilting and dredging activity will just be short term. But the longer term program is to find long-lasting solution to the problems in Pampanga and Bulacan,” he added.
“One of the ideas or concepts that have been floated during the discussion is actually the impounding area in the Candaba swamp.”