Surigao del Sur 1st district Rep. Romeo Momo (Facebook)

The failure to implement Metro Manila's flood control masterplan will only hold back the country’s economic progress. 

Thus, said Surigao del Sur 1st district Rep. Romeo Momo Sr. as he prodded the relevant agencies to come together and work on the Metro Manila Flood Management Project. 

“We’re at the cusp of an economic recovery. All our industries are booming, but if we continue to let flooding dictate the way we run and do our business, we’re going to lose that momentum,” Momo said in a statement. 

The country is still reeling from the effects of the southwest monsoon (Habagat) and Typhoon "Carina's" onslaught that left much of the National Capital Region (NCR) and parts of Luzon inundated with flood. 

“It is about time that all concerned agencies—the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority), LGUs (local government units), and other officials—work together to adhere to this master plan. It has been a long time coming,“ said Momo, chairman of the House Committee on Public Works and Highways. 

Momo said typhoons and floods are considered the most devastating in terms of economic and social impact, accounting for 80 percent of all deaths, 90 percent of the total number of affected people, and 92 percent of the total economic impact. 

The lawmaker also stressed the need to allocate resources for making the country proactive against natural disasters rather than reactive, or when the people and their livelihoods are already suffering. 

“It is not enough that we are prepared for the recovery and rehabilitation, but what is more important is that we are ready for any type of disaster, especially in terms of flooding because this has taken too much from us—lives, properties, livelihoods, and so much more,” added the Mindanaoan. 

He also decried that despite the allocation of a “big chunk” of the DPWH budget—more than P200 billion in 2024—flooding remains a problem for Filipinos. 

In 2017, the $500-million Metro Manila Flood Management Project received funding from the World Bank (WB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for $207.6 million each. The Philippine government will provide the remaining $84.79 million. 

The project aims to build a dam in the upper Marikina River catchment area, eliminate long-term flooding in the flood plain of Laguna de Bay, modernize Metro Manila’s pumping stations, improve flood forecasting and early warning systems, and improve institutional arrangements for better flood management.  

Momo says he is set to meet with DPWH officials to discuss the status of the project. 

“Many of the projects are yet to be bidded out and some are still ongoing. We need to double time with our flood infrastructure projects. The money is already available. There’s strong support from Congress for the completion of these projects. Let’s make it happen already,” he said. 

In its report about the Metro Manila Flood Management Project, the WB noted that the Philippines was third among countries most at risk for disasters, including floods, storms, and earthquakes. 

Momo is a  former DPWH undersecretary.