President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday inaugurated the Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Project-Stage 1 (IDRR-CCA 1) in Masantol, Pampanga.
In his speech, President Marcos emphasized that the IDRR-CCA is expected to reduce the flood level and duration from 66 days to 17 days in the municipalities of Macabebe, Masantol, Minalin, and Sto. Tomas.
“We are very optimistic that this will redound to improving the people’s lives by enhancing the disaster resilience of all our communities,” President Marcos said in his speech during the inauguration of the project in Brgy. Anac in Masantol.
President Marcos also thanked the South Korean government for its technical assistance in realizing the project.
The IDRR-CCA 1 is an infrastructure flagship project that aims to increase and improve the capacity of the Third River, Eastern Branch River, Caduang Tete River, and Sapang Maragul River. The water in these rivers drains into the Pampanga River.
Its project cost is pegged at PhP7.57 billion, sourced from the Export-Import Bank of Korea-Economic Development Cooperation Fund.
The project also helped lessen the duration of the flooding caused by Typhoon Carina/habagat in Macabebe, Masantol, Minalin, and Sto. Tomas from approximately four months to only two weeks.
President Marcos instructed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to ensure that the second stage of the project will proceed as scheduled “to fully realize the project’s benefits and provide long-term solutions to flooding” in Pampanga.
President Marcos also highlighted the completed flood control projects in Central Luzon, particularly the PhP85-million Pampanga River in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija, which was completed in May 2024.
The PhP91-million rehabilitation of the eroded bank of the Pampanga River in Candating, Arayat, was also completed in October last year.
“So, let me assure all that the government, through Public Works, will expeditiously complete the ongoing flood control projects here in Region III,” President Marcos said.
“However, this is only half of the solution. Flood control projects are meant to help minimize the effects of flooding and they will help in reducing the size of the area affected, decreasing the height of the flood, and shortening the time for flooding to subside,” he added.
President Marcos urged the residents and local officials to help the government in achieving the holistic approach to address flooding in the country. PND
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