The technical foundation for future, science-backed flood management infrastructure to strengthen long-term disaster preparedness nationwide is being laid by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

This is in consonance with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to enhance nationwide flood resiliency.

With this, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has ordered the updating of all flood management master plans to protect the Filipino people from massive flooding year after year.

To ensure these master plans reflect current climate realities, the DPWH is collaborating with the University of the Philippines-Project Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (UP-NOAH), local government units (LGUs) and other partner agencies to integrate detailed hazard mapping and scientific data before implementation.

The DPWH does not use a single nationwide master plan, as it applies a decentralized strategy with individual, localized master plans tailored to each of the country's 18 major river basins and principal tributaries.

The approach takes into account the specific geographical, hydrological and environmental conditions of individual regions, as measures effective in one basin may fail in another.

The DPWH is updating the frameworks with agencies like UP-NOAH and international partners such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to reflect modern climate change projections, urban expansion and updated hazard mapping.

DPWH officials said many past interventions were standalone, immediate-relief projects rather than components of a cohesive blueprint. Current policy mandates that future funding requests rely on these vetted, science-backed basin master plans.

Under Secretary Vince Dizon, the DPWH has been rapidly updating and executing its localized master plans with foreign assistance, with each area relying on a distinctly designed engineering blueprint.

In Metro Manila, the DPWH is focusing on the Pasig-Marikina-Laguna de Bay area, where a comprehensive plan is being developed with JICA and ADB.

The department is implementing Oplan Kontra Baha, with structural interventions under the Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project (Phase IV).

The plan also includes two flow-through dams and four retarding basins, as well as underground retention channels and deep-well dredging in the San Juan River, targeting a 60% reduction in flooding.

The second is the Pampanga River Basin in Central Luzon, where a long-term plan was formulated through late 2022.

The area will have a 60-kilometer Central Luzon-Pampanga floodway and reinforced dikes.

The third is the Cagayan River Basin, where a draft master plan was unveiled with JICA, with the final localized framework targeted for completion by 2026.

The plan includes five proposed flood control dams in Alimit, Siffu, Malig, Ilagan and Cagayan, along with cut-off channels and extensive river improvement and dredging at the Magapit section.