Floods

The good news is all our dams are full so we have more than enough water for our needs. No more rationing for now.

The bad news is… flooding in Central Luzon is a problem the government has failed to deal with. Despite huge flood control infrastructure budgets through the years, these annual floods continue to plague us and relief is not likely forthcoming.

Unfortunately, a lot of people suffered the consequences of this flood, from houses that were inundated as well as motorists who were stranded anywhere from three to 10 hours in the North Luzon Expressway. This means, there is inadequate early warning system that will advise motorists when there are plans to release water from the dams so they can wait out the flood and not travel.

NLEX will have to invest in some improvements because NLEX is a 50-year-old facility that must be constantly upgraded in response to increased traffic count and climate change effects. Still, Metro Pacific Tollways president and CEO Rogelio “Babes” Singson said on the whole, traffic has not been exceeding design capacity except at some sections - San Fernando, Candaba Viaduct, Meycauyan and Baliuag.

A comprehensive flood control program is not the responsibility of NLEX but of DPWH. NLEX has enough on its hands fixing the southbound viaduct and the Pasig-Potrero Bridge to assure safety.

The immediate cause of San Simon flooding was the water releases from the Ipo and Bustos Dams that constricted the conveyance of the lower part of the Pampanga River and back-flowed onto Candaba, Apalit, Masantol, etc. and tributaries like Tulaoc River.

Singson said they have to work with DPWH to find a long-term solution to the flooding in the area.

“The area would have to be elevated but we would have to resolve the concern on the Tulaoc Bridge which has been there before NLEX. Tatama kasi sa tulay pag tinaasan ang daan. It will take time but isa ito sa tinitingnan natin and discuss with my former colleagues at the DPWH,” he said.

Singson also said part of the long-term solution would be addressing the overflowing of the Pampanga River.

“Again, it will be complex but there are measures like the construction of sabo dams and water impounding facilities to catch the water coming from the upstream which causes the Candaba Swamp and dams to overflow into the Pampanga River which then goes to Bulacan before finally reaching Manila Bay. These are vital infrastructures that will have to be considered,” he added.

“Unfortunately,” Singson said, “the flood masterplan for our major river basins was not implemented when we left DPWH. It’s only under PBBM that he started adopting Integrated Water Resources Management Program which DPWH proposed when we left in 2016.”

There was also suspicion that the ongoing construction of the New Manila International Airport Project is contributing to the flooding in Bulacan. San Miguel denied this and assured the airport project has no direct effect on the recent flooding.

“The recent heavy flooding experienced in parts of Bulacan are caused by the unprecedented level of rainfall, high tide and restriction of flow from heavily-silted and polluted tributaries and main rivers upstream.”

Indeed, San Miguel explained, the design of the proposed airport in Bulacan province is meant to address, not worsen, the problem of flooding in the area that has existed for several decades and made worse by clogged waterways and drainage.

“Upon the request of Bulacan LGUs and as part of the NMIA project Flood Management plan, SMC has commenced clean-up initiatives for Meycauyan river in October 2022, followed by Maycapiz/Taliptip river last March. So far, SMC has removed 540,000 metric tons of silt and waste or 40 percent of the target volume, covering 4.4 km of the 13 km initial length around the airport site perimeter.

“SMC expects to complete the clean-up and dredging of the surrounding rivers of the new airport site by February 2024. The initial dredging has so far helped improve the flow of water out to Manila Bay based on feedback from local officials and communities in Bulakan and Obando.”

San Miguel also explained that the airport site is naturally surrounded by two main rivers – the Meycauyan River and the Maycapiz/ Taliptip Rivers.

San Miguel said they tapped a Dutch company, Royal Boskalis, to do the redevelopment in accordance with the highest specifications in safety and sustainability.

In developing the site, SMC is backed by an Export Credit Insurance (ECI) from the Dutch government that was extended to Royal Boskalis to cover its 1.5-billion euro contract for land development work in Bulakan, Bulacan.

“The approval came after over a year of rigorous review of the project’s long-term environmental and social impact mitigation measures to ensure that the multi-billion project is done with sustainability in mind and aligned with the country’s climate ambitions.”

San Miguel also tapped an international consultant to put together a Flood Management Plan that is supported by flood modeling studies and in-house monitoring of project site rainfall measurement as well as monitoring the level of rivers adjacent to the project site. The study showed no increase in water levels since the land development started, San Miguel said in their press release.

San Miguel also reassured that it is committed to invest time and resources in cleaning waterways outside of the airport perimeter and further upstream of Meycauyan and Taliptip rivers and its main tributaries to finally address the long-standing problem of flooding in Meycauyan, Marilao, Bocaue and Guigunto. They are also looking to include in its river clean-up project other waterways outside of the airport site’s river network and in the northern part of Bulacan, namely, Pamawaran river, Labingan-Angat River, Hagonoy-Paombong River and Malolos rivers.

Cleaning up the rivers is the government’s responsibility, not San Miguel’s. But San Miguel has effectively taken on the flood management responsibility in the area.  After all, they are investing P740 billion on the airport project. It will be catastrophic for business if the airport and its neighboring areas get flooded. They have to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Boo Chanco’s email address is [email protected]. Follow him on X (twitter) @boochanco.