President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to prioritize constructing large-scale water detention basins to address persistent flooding in Central Luzon, officials said 1 September.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon disclosed the directive during a radio interview, stressing that the President instructed the agency to transition immediately from planning to execution.

“The President said last night that it is time to stop the talking and planning, and focus on execution,” Dizon said.

“We need many high-capacity detention basins because the volume of water we are experiencing now is vastly different compared to five or six years ago,” he added.

Dizon cited that the proposal to build retention basins was originally raised during the tenure of former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, but the project was never fully implemented.

Alongside the construction of retention basins, Marcos ordered the continued dredging of major rivers across the region.

Dizon said dredging operations resumed continuously after he assumed office, ending a 10-year period of inactivity, though significant work remains to catch up on maintenance.

Highlighting the scale of the flooding crisis, Dizon called on local government units and private sector partners to assist the national government in carrying out the infrastructure projects.