A master plan to address flooding and climate change in Visayas and Mindanao will be developed by the Department of Public Works and Highways.
In a memorandum, Senior Undersecretary Rafael Yabut who has charge of Visayas and Mindanao operations, directed DPWH regional directors and district engineers in Visayas and Mindanao whose jurisdiction includes areas with major river basins and major rivers classified under the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) to plan flood-control and climate-change mitigation interventions.
The plan will seek solutions to the overflowing of rivers during rainy days by following the river basin approach in planning. It will also enable the department to address the flood problem holistically and not in a palliative manner, Yabut said.
The DPWH Unified Project Management Office-Flood Control Management Cluster (UPMO-FCMC) said it will help the concerned offices draft their master plans.
The country has 18 major river basins. Cagayan River Basin is the largest with a drainage area of 27,753 square kilometers.
The DPWH recently started the improvement of Cagayan River Basin as part of its P356-million flood-risk management projects.