Parañaque City 2nd district Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan reminded his constituents that flood mitigation is a shared responsibility between the government.

This, as Yamsuan thanked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for immediately sending an amphibious excavator to begin work in declogging Villanueva Creek.

The creek is one of the waterways that overflows and causes severe flooding along Dr. Santos Avenue (formerly Sucat Road) during heavy downpours. 

“The solutions to the problem should work both ways. Hindi lang dapat gobyerno and kikilos kundi dapat mga kababayan din natin. Kayo na mismo magdisiplina sa sarili ‘nyo, Nakita ‘nyo naman, yung basurang tinapon ‘nyo babalik din sa inyo. ‘Yung waste na tinatapon nila ang nagiging cause din ng problema,” Yamsuan said over the weekend.

(Not only should the government act, but our fellow citizens as well. You must discipline yourselves; as you’ve seen, the trash you throw away comes back to you. The waste they discard also becomes the cause of the problem.)

“Ang kailangan dito maraming approach. Disiplina sa tao, proyektong tama at paalala sa mga kababayan natin nang mga dapat na tamang gawin,” he noted.

(What’s needed here are many approaches: discipline among people, proper projects, and reminders to our fellow citizens about the right things to do.)

Dizon said he will also propose funding under the 2027 national budget for the upgrading of old dikes in the city and the construction of detention basins beneath basketball courts and open spaces, similar to projects implemented in Manila and Quezon City.

The House will formally discuss the national budget after President Marcos delivers his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July.

Yamsuan, a former Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) assistant secretary, recently met with DPWH Metro Manila 2nd district Engineering Office officer-in-charge Hanzel Samson.

“On behalf of the people of Parañaque, ako ay lubos na nagpapasalamat sa DPWH, sa pangunguna ng aking kaibigang si Secretary Vince Dizon, sa agarang pag-aksyon sa napakatagal at napabayaang problema nang pagbaha dito sa aming lungsod,” Yamsuan said. 

He said the deployment of the amphibious excavator will facilitate swift dredging in Parañaque.

"I’m not surprised because I’ve known Sec. Vince to respond and act fast. He has proven time and again that Government can be quick and effective in doing what needs to be done,” Yamsuan noted.

The flood mitigation efforts in Parañaque, which has suffered from persistent flooding for decades, is part of the Marcos administration’s ‘Oplan Kontra Baha’ program.