The Philippines' Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is spearheading the creation of flood risk management master plans for three river basins.  

This initiative is part of the ADB-assisted Infrastructure Preparation and Innovation Facility Additional Financing for Water Projects (Output 2), under package 5B. 

The river basins in focus include Mag-Asawang Tubig and neighbouring basins in Oriental and Occidental Mindoro. 

The Agno River Basin, with a catchment area of 5,937km² and a river length of 206km, is claimed to have flood risks to low-lying provinces such as Pangasinan and Tarlac during heavy rainfall.  

The current flood control structures are deemed insufficient, having been designed for a return period of flooding that has since been exceeded. 

In the Mindoro Provinces, the Mag-Asawang Tubig and Neighbouring River Basins threaten agricultural zones and coastal towns with heavy siltation and bank erosion.  

Meanwhile, the Cadac-an River Basin in Leyte is prone to tropical storms and typhoons due to its limited discharge capacity. 

The DPWH-UPMO-Flood Control Management Cluster, with consultants from Saman Corporation, Royal HaskoningDHV, Dohwa Engineering, and Kyong-Ho Engineering, is collaborating with local government units, national agencies, and development partners.  

Their goal is to ensure a thorough assessment of flood risks and vulnerabilities for each river basin. 

DPWH senior undersecretary Emil Sadain said: “In line with the directive of president Ferdinand Marcos Jr and the policy instruction of secretary Bonoan, the master plans being prepared will not only provide a strategic and long-term approach to flood risk management but also have to be integrated with the other sectors to conserve and utilise the water beneficially like for irrigation, water supply and power.” 

The DPWH has resolved to develop individual master plans for each of the 18 major river basins and 421 other principal river tributaries.  

These plans are being revised with support from ADB, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and Export-Import Bank of Korea, to include climate projections, urbanisation, land use changes, and population growth trends. 

Earlier this month, the DPWH also completed road upgrades in Nueva Valencia, Guimaras, which are expected to enable safer and more efficient travel.