The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is eyeing P1.5 billion in its proposed 2027 budget to completely overhaul and widen the aging drainage system along flood-prone Taft Avenue, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said Friday.

Dizon announced the plan during an inspection visit along the southbound lane of Taft Avenue on Friday morning, where maintenance crews were manually clearing narrow, silted drainage lines.

Underground concrete culverts along the major thoroughfare were designed decades ago when vehicle traffic and urban density were significantly lower, making them inadequate for modern rainfall levels, according to Dizon.

“The concrete culverts need to be replaced because they are too small, making it difficult for floodwater to flow,” Dizon said. “Compounding the problem are soil and sand entering the waterways, and the size of the passages is outdated.”

Dizon instructed department engineers to draft a plan to replace the existing culverts as quickly as possible. He estimated construction could take six to nine months and extend to the boundary of Pasay City.

If Congress approves the requested P1.5 billion budget, DPWH aims to complete the structural upgrades before the start of the 2027 rainy season.

Dizon acknowledged that the project will inevitably cause traffic congestion along one of Manila’s primary arteries.

He urged the Manila local government and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to develop rerouting plans ahead of construction.

While DPWH has increased declogging operations from an annual schedule to every three months, Dizon stressed that maintenance alone cannot resolve the recurring flooding without structural replacements.

He also appealed to the public to dispose of garbage properly to prevent blockage in urban waterways.