President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to implement an updated Bicol River Basin Master Plan aimed at bolstering flood resilience in the region.
At a Regional Development Council meeting on Friday in Pili, Mr. Marcos stressed that evolving environmental challenges demand a modern approach to flood management.
“I already instructed the Public Works to come up with a master plan which is appropriate for now.
There is no other way to address the flooding problem except to manage the water flowing into the Bicol Region River Basin,” he said.
“At least we have a plan now. We have to implement it properly because the old master plan was not rigorously implemented so we have the same problem,” he added.
The revised master plan, updated under the Philippine-Korea Project Facilitation Program, now incorporates comprehensive climate data to better manage water flow and mitigate flooding risks.
The Chief Executive also called for government agencies and local stakeholders to fully understand and collaborate on the plan’s implementation.
Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan confirmed that the master plan was revised through the Philippine-Korea Project Facilitation Program, integrating key climate change considerations.
“We have completed the necessary updates, incorporating the latest environmental data to make the plan more effective,” Bonoan reported.
Meanwhile, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. advocated for immediate measures such as dredging flood-prone sections of the Bicol River—specifically the Libmanan-Cabusao and Nabua-Bato-Baao Lake areas—to provide short-term relief while long-term projects roll out.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Marcos orders implementation of Bicol River Basin master plan.”