Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon is eyeing a possible review of the ‘Aquino-Singson Master Plan’ as part of the government’s efforts to address the country’s flooding problem, according to Palace press officer and Undersecretary Claire Castro.
In a briefing on Thursday, Castro said the master plan could be used alongside the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) separate master plan for major river basins.
The masterplan that Castro was referring to is the one crafted under former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, who headed the DPWH when former president Benigno Aquino III was still in office.
‘Iyan po ay pagsasama-samahin at titingnan, at kailangan na po ring i-update. At ang sabi nga rin po ng Pangulo sa nakaraang pagpupulong, kailangan na ring i-update kung ano ang dapat na gawin nang naaayon na po sa maaaring epekto ng climate change,’ Castro said.
(That will be consolidated and reviewed, and it also needs to be updated. As the President said during the previous meeting, we also need to update what needs to be done in accordance with the possible effects of climate change.)
The Aquino administration approved a long-term, P351-billion flood management master plan in 2012 made during the time of Singson at DPWH.
However, this was not carried out by the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Asked why the master plan had not been implemented during the first four years of the Marcos administration, Castro said she could not speak on behalf of previous officials.
‘Ang akin lamang masasagot ay kung ano po ang ginagawa ngayon ni Secretary Vince Dison dahil sa pinaabot niya sa atin ginagawa niya po sa ngayon ang lahat ng mga imprastraktura base sa master plan ng major river basins,’ she said.
(Ang akin lamang masasagot ay kung ano po ang ginagawa ngayon ni Secretary Vince Dison dahil sa pinaabot niya sa atin ginagawa niya po sa ngayon ang lahat ng mga imprastraktura base sa master plan ng major river basins. )
Moreover, the Palace official clarified President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s statement on Wednesday that the country had a ‘master plan’ for flood control for decades but that it had never been implemented.
‘Ang pinapatungkulan po dito ng Pangulo ay nakita po ng mga eksperto rin na may mga masterplans na noon na dahil sa hindi naisagawa, nagkakaroon ito ngayon ng epekto sa pagbabaha,’ Castro said.
(What the President was referring to is that experts have also observed that there were master plans in the past that, because they were not implemented, are now contributing to the flooding we are experiencing.)
‘So, ang Pangulo po ngayon ay gumagawa ng mga proyekto, lalung-lalo na sa ilalim ng pamumuno ni Secretary Vince Dizon. So, kung ano po iyong hawak natin ngayon especially itong sa major river basins, iyan po iyong inuuna ng Pangulo para po maibsan iyong epekto ng sobrang pagbabaha or taas ng tubig kapag malakas po ang ulan o mayroon pong bagyo,’ she continued.
(So, the President is now undertaking projects, particularly under the leadership of Secretary Vince Dizon. What we currently have, especially the plans for the major river basins, are what the President is prioritizing in order to mitigate the effects of severe flooding or rising water levels during heavy rains or typhoons.)
The government is also willing to make the national flood control master plan public as part of its transparency efforts