We share the concerns voiced by local government and legislative officials in traditional and social media about some national agencies’ lack of coordination, especially in controversial flood control projects.

Several days ago, the public saw certain LGUs “calling out” the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for “undertaking projects without consultation nor prior information." LGUs called it a “bad habit” on the part of the DPWH.

It is clear that the LGUs complaint is not based solely on what seems to be a disregard for the basics of courtesy. LGUs pointed out that the absence of coordination may have resulted in “costly and dysfunctional outcomes.”

It baffles us that the DPWH would ignore the importance of coordination with local governments in the implementation of vital infrastructure projects. They are not alone in this plight. We have heard similar complaints from our colleagues in other local governments.

The local government of Antipolo has not been spared from this apparent disregard for coordination. On several occasions, we brought to the attention of the district engineers projects that had not been coordinated with the city government, barangay nor homeowners’ association, and did not have the required permits.

The legal action taken by the local government is based on the powers given to it by the Local Government Code of the Philippines. In addition, the same law specifically directs national agencies and offices with project implementation functions to “coordinate with the local government units concerned in the discharge of these functions.”

“They (national agencies) shall ensure the participation of local government units both in the planning and implementation of said national projects,” the Local Government Code clearly states.

There is much wisdom behind the law. The command for national agencies to coordinate with local governments has practical reasons. It is not about “control”; it is about efficiency and safeguarding against risks.

Local governments alone have the authority to reroute or block traffic within their jurisdiction. LGU officials are responsible for explaining to their constituents the temporary inconvenience they will endure during major infrastructure projects. They also bear the brunt of the public's anger. LGUs cannot pass the blame to national agencies for adversities or for misfortunes from bungled projects run by national agencies.

One glaring example of the bad results of a lack of coordination happened in the shared boundaries of the cities of Marikina and Antipolo. It appears that the DPWH decided to make sure that one town would be flood-free during the monsoon season at the expense of the other. DPWH succeeded to the disadvantage of nearby lower Antipolo. The problem was that the solution DPWH came up with was to install pumps that would drive flood waters away from Marikina and on to the area of Antipolo.

So, while DPWH succeeded in “solving” Marikina’s flood woes, DPWH ended up inundating lower Antipolo.

Fortunately, the mayor of Marikina, the Honorable Maan Teodoro, is a believer in both courtesy and coordination. Once informed of the consequences of the “flood control” solution of the national agency, she acted on the problem and asked that the situation be remedied.

The massive flooding problem is not the woe of one locality alone. It is a collective concern that requires not just cooperation and coordination, but collaboration. All sectors must work together to find a solution, if there is one.

Meanwhile, we laud one clear expression of collaboration, which provided a silver lining in the cloudy skies of our flooding woes. San Miguel Corporation chairman Ramon Ang showed the way and provided a model for what the private sector can contribute to the solution of our flooding woes.

The SMC head recently launched his company’s corporate social responsibility program, which includes the massive clean-up of rivers, esteros, and other waterways. This is a major contribution to the collective effort to mitigate flooding. We hope other corporate giants follow suit.

A similar earlier effort was implemented by the SM malls in Masinag, Antipolo. This mall was built with a large water catchment area at its base. This system is designed to collect water that would have otherwise flooded nearby residential areas. Other SM malls have similar flood mitigation designs and systems.

If a private entity like SMC and SM can be counted on to collaborate in this effort, why would we not be able to count on concerned national agencies to have a similar mindset?

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We congratulate Secretary Vince Dizon on his appointment as head of the Department of Public Works and Highways. His proven leadership at the Department of Transportation gives us confidence that he will guide the DPWH with integrity, professionalism, and accountability. We trust that under his watch, reforms will be pursued, corruption curbed, and infrastructure projects carried out transparently for the benefit of the Filipino people.