Stressing that climate change will bring more floods to the country, President Marcos encouraged local government units (LGUs) and ordinary citizens on Wednesday, Aug. 7, to properly maintain their waterways and promote recycling to ensure the efficiency of flood control projects.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Project - Stage 1 (IDRR-CCA 1) in Masantol, Pampanga, the President said this marks a significant step in enhancing the country's resilience to natural disasters and mitigating the adverse effects of climate change.

"We are very optimistic that this will redound to improving the people's lives by enhancing the disaster resilience of all our communities," he said.

However, Marcos noted that having flood control projects was only half of the solution, especially with the effects of climate change.

"With climate change and with the effects of an increasing population, we expect that we will experience more and more of these historic flooding events," he said.

"For flood control to work, we must do our part in maintaining our canals and waterways and in recycling and properly disposing of our garbage," he added.

The Department of Public Works and Highways - Unified Project Management Office (DPWH-UPMO) Flood Control Management Cluster's infrastructure project aims to protect Pampanga's low-lying areas including Macabebe, Masantol, Minalin, Sto. Tomas, and Apalit.

Once fully completed, the IDRR-CCA 1, which costs over P7 billion, will reduce the flood level and flood duration from 68 days to 17 days in the said municipalities.

It also aims to enhance drainage in key river channels like the Third River, Eastern Branch River, Caduang Tete, and Sapang Maragul.

The IDRR-CCA 1 project is part of the broader initiatives by the Climate Change Commission (CCC), which has been actively engaged in climate adaptation studies and community outreach in Region III or Central Luzon.

To fully realize the project's benefits and provide long-term solutions to flooding in Pampanga, President Marcos has instructed the DPWH to ensure Stage 2 of the IDRR-CCA will be proceeding as scheduled.

Meanwhile, Marcos also thanked the South Korean government for their help in the project's first stage and for assuring him that the planning and technical examination for the IDRR-CCA 2 had already begun.

"Let me once again thank our friends from the Korean government for their help in completing this important stage 1 of the IDRR-CCA project," he said.

"Let us continue to explore other areas of cooperation that will uplift both our countries and the lives of our people," he added.