A comprehensive master plan that will address the issues relating to flooding and climate change in Visayas and Mindanao will be developed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
In a Memorandum issued by DPWH Senior Undersecretary Rafael C. Yabut, in charge of Visayas and Mindanao Operations, 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) are expected to create a comprehensive plan for flood control and climate change mitigation interventions.
The proposed master plan will seek solutions to the overflowing of rivers during rainy days by following the River Basin approach in planning.
The master plan will also enable the Department to address flooding problem holistically and not in a palliative manner.
The DPWH Unified Project Management Office - Flood Control Management Cluster (UPMO-FCMC) will assist the concerned offices whenever necessary in the formulation of respective master plan.
The country has 18 major river basins with Cagayan River Basin as the largest one with the drainage area of 27,753 square kilometers. DPWH has recently started the improvement of Cagayan River Basin which is part of its P356 million flood-risk management projects.