The government through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Wednesday met with flood control experts from the academe to discuss measures to combat the flood problem and the management of water resources.

According to Secretary Vince Dizon, the meeting which was held at the DPWH main office in Port Area, Manila was set in connection with the order of President Ferdinand R. Marcos. Jr. to immediately find a long-term solution to the issue of flooding in the country.

He said the DPWH will conduct broader coordination with experts and other agencies to develop a science-based flood control plan. 

Among those in attendance were Dr. Alfredo Mahar Francisco Lagmay, director of the University of the Philippines (UP) Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) Center; Dr. Guillermo Tabios III of the UP Institute of Civil Engineering; and DENR Undersecretary Carlo Primo David. 

At the same time, Dizon noted that they would also want to assist in water resources management. 

“Bottom line, we want to understand what DPWH needs to do to assist in not only flood mitigation but also overall management of water resources,” he said. 

With this, the DPWH chief they would like to invite to their next meeting the head of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to know the agency’s role in the management of water resources. 

“Maybe later on we can invite NIA Administrator Eddie Guillen also here, in our next meeting. He wasn't available for this meeting but we will invite him in future meetings,” Dizon added.

PNA PHOTO