President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to prioritize addressing flooding in vulnerable areas while implementing measures to ease the impact of recurring floods across the nation.

“Asahan po ninyo na sa instruction po ng ating Presidente, kailangan pong pagtuunan ng pansin ng DPWH, lalung-lalo na po iyong vulnerable areas sa lahat ng dako ng Pilipinas,” DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said on Wednesday.

Bonoan said the government is working to find long-term solutions to the recurring floods.

“Ito po iyong mga priorities that the President wants to pagtutuunan ng pansin ng DPWH,” Bonoan said in a virtual press briefing facilitated by PCO Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro.

In Metro Manila, Bonoan said the DPWH is collaborating with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to repair and upgrade approximately 32 aging pumping stations to enhance their water discharge capacity.

Bonoan said the rehabilitation and upgrade of 32 primary pumping stations are expected to be completed by next year, which will be crucial in easing floodwater drainage in many areas in the National Capital Region.

Bonoan, however, said the agencies must also focus on addressing the causes of flooding in Metro Manila, such as improper waste disposal and informal settlers residing near creeks and riverbanks.

“Kailangan po natin siguro pagtuunan pansin po iyong mga ibang rason kung bakit nagkakabaha pa rin lalung-lalo na iyong waste management at saka iyong mga kababayan natin na andoon sa may mga gilid-gilid na mga esteros,” Bonoan said.

The MMDA urged the public to practice discipline in waste disposal, emphasizing that preventing floods is not the sole responsibility of the government, but a communal duty of all Filipinos. | PND