A LAWMAKER on Monday cited the need for the government to establish a comprehensive national plan on flood control to prevent or mitigate flooding in the country.
“The recent flooding in Metro Manila showed us that there is a need to prepare and be more proactive in our flood programs,” Rep. Toby Tiangco of Navotas City said.
“Instead of being reactive to the effects of climate change, we should put in place a large-scale and long-term plan against floods,” he added
Tiangco made the statement after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized the need to update flood hazard maps.
“Like the President noted, we were caught by surprise. Some areas that were not known to flood were submerged during the recent typhoon,” he said.
“Addressing the challenges of new weather patterns should be our top priority,” he noted.
“We will only be able to do this if we take an integrated, inter-agency approach that will undertake a comprehensive review and analysis of current flood risks, as well as a multi-disciplinary approach to proposed mechanisms for flood control.”
Tiangco pointed out that the problem of flooding has many dimensions, from climate change, urbanization, lack of infrastructure, even human behavior.
“The solutions must be as nuanced as the problem itself. All relevant agencies of government must come together – from national to local – if we hope to protect Filipinos from floods and other hazards. Proper funding must be allocated, and newer technologies explored.
The times are changing and it is the responsibility of government to keep up and make sure that the people are safe,” Tiangco stressed. \
