DENR vows enhanced oversight of flood control projects after Senate inquiry

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has pledged to enhance inter-agency oversight of flood control projects in the Philippines following a directive from the Senate Finance Committee for a report on its monitoring.

DENR Undersecretary Carlos Primo David presented the department’s initial findings yesterday, which stemmed from a 2023 agreement by an inter-agency sub-committee to monitor projects submitted by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The sub-committee, co-chaired by the DENR, operates under the umbrella of the Infrastructure Committee of the National Economic and Development Authority, which is now known as the Department of Economy, Planning and Development.

David SAID the initial findings would undergo further validation by other agencies, particularly the team of DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon.

Dizon subsequently clarified to the DENR that the DPWH project list submitted to the sub-committee includes slope protection for major road projects that are not strictly flood control projects. For example, he cited the Laguna lakeshore slope protection in Taguig City as part of a road project.

The DENR said it would continue to collaborate with the inter-agency Sub-Committee on Water Resources to improve the reporting and monitoring system, enhance coordination and work toward a more integrated approach to flood and water resource development before projects are implemented.

The sub-committee’s mission is to promote convergence in government water projects, avoid duplication and promote accountability, it said.

The DENR said its monitoring role falls under the sub-committee’s policy and coordination functions and applies to water projects of other agencies, including the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the DENR itself.