FLOOD CONTROL. The DPWH introduces its ambitious P352-billion flood management master plan for Metro Manila. Photo by Patrickroque01, taken from Wikipedia

MANILA, Philippines – The flood control plan for the Pasig River, which stretches between Metro Manila and Laguna Lake, takes notes from the river control system set up in Amsterdam, said Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson.

The plan makes room for the river. “You cannot do away with constricting or putting obstructions on the river system you have to make room for the river so we are recovering as much as we can by removing obstructions on the waterway,” Singson said when he spoke at the Philippine Economic briefing on February 13.

Singson said the plan addresses 3 major flooding issues: water coming from the Sierra Madre, the carrying capacity of San Juan and Pasig River waterways and low-lying communities.

“We are finalizing the final design to stop the water coming down and lower the volume that comes down Pasig and Marikina river. We are also increasing the capacity by raising the walls of the Pasig River together with improving the pumping system that are 20-30 year old around Metro Manila,” said Singson.

The DPWH introduced its P351.72-billion flood management master plan in August 2012. This plan comes in place to prevent heavy flooding like the one during storm Ondoy in 2009.

The extensive infrastructure work, which covers a total of 11 infrastructure projects, including the construction of a P198.43 billion dam in Marikina, will be rolled out in phases until 2035.

The plan was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority’s Sub-Committee on Water Resources in July.

In November 2012, DPWH announced that it had increased the walls of a 23-kilometer stretch of Pasig River to make it more resilient to heavy flooding and protect 40 surrounding barangays.

Under its public investment program, the DPWH earlier planned to set aside only P84 billion for its flood control projects from 2011 to 2016.

The Pasig River, with length of 26-km and average width of 50-m, flows from Laguna Bay to Manila Bay. - Rappler.com