President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has tasked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) along with several other departments to develop integrated plans for the country’s 18 major river basins.
According to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), this initiative aligns with the President’s directive to update the Bicol River Basin Development Project, as highlighted by Secretary of Public Works and Highways Manuel Bonoan.
During a press briefing, OCD Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno announced that Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga will lead this inter-agency effort.
“Even before the onset of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, the President issued an executive order mandating the different agencies to make a comprehensive and integrated plan per river basin for the 18 river basins to be headed by Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga of the DENR,” Nepomuceno explained.
“When you say comprehensive, of course, a major component of that would be the engineering solutions, but you also have the mental aspect and social aspect, including recognition of the hazardous areas,” he added.
Nepomuceno expressed optimism about the directive, viewing it as a long-term strategy, and affirmed the OCD’s readiness to share its expertise.
Meanwhile, Bonoan emphasized that the updated Bicol River Basin Development Project will prioritize flood mitigation.
“In the updated plans, we also have to consider challenges such as climate change,” he noted.
President Marcos previously advocated for amendments to the Bicol River Basin Development Program to prevent a recurrence of severe flooding experienced in the region during disasters.
He highlighted the impact of climate change, noting that rainfall in Bicol during the onslaught of Kristine was double that recorded during Typhoon Ondoy in 2009.
