Sourced online from PIA by Tracy Cabrera
MANILA, Philippines — While Bulacan has faced criticism over allegedly substandard and even non-existent flood control projects, Cavite has posted significant progress in its campaign to reduce flooding through infrastructure development and international cooperation.
Eloisa Rozul, head of the Office of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (OPDRRMO), said the improvements stem from the provincial government’s partnership with the
Japan International Cooperation Agency in implementing flood management projects across vulnerable communities.
Rozul said the Cavite Industrial Area Flood Risk Management Project has substantially eased flooding in the province’s urban and industrial centers.
“Cavite has undergone rapid urbanization over the years, which has increased paved areas, reduced natural drainage, and intensified flood runoff during periods of heavy rainfall,” she explained.
Monitoring by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council indicates that residents in low-lying communities are already benefiting from the project. The affected areas include the cities of
Bacoor and Imus, as well as the municipalities of Kawit, Noveleta, Rosario, and Tanza, which frequently experience flooding when the San Juan River, Imus River, and Ylang-Ylang River overflow during heavy rains.
Beyond the JICA-supported projects, Rozul said the provincial government is encouraging local government units to enact ordinances establishing infrastructure audit teams. She added that school safety officers are also being tapped to help monitor the condition and safety of public facilities.
Among the proposed measures are ordinances creating infrastructure audit teams, appointing safety officers in elementary and secondary schools, and advancing a proposed water safety ordinance that would eventually lead to detailed implementing rules and regulations.
The flood management project also includes several major engineering components, such as a flood retarding basin that will temporarily store excess stormwater and release it gradually after heavy rainfall, helping reduce flooding in downstream communities.
Additional works are underway involving riverbed improvements, floodways, diversion channels, drainage systems, and bridge networks designed to redirect excess floodwater toward
Manila Bay
.
Provincial officials said Cavite remains focused on expanding investments in flood mitigation infrastructure, while emphasizing that stronger public participation is necessary to improve disaster preparedness and recovery efforts.
ia/xf
