The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is joining the collective action in monitoring the half-a-trillion flood control projects by enhancing its capacity as an oversight agency in keeping a tight watch on the projects.
The DENR on Tuesday said that it will continue its work in monitoring the projects as a member agency of the inter-agency subcommittee on water resources under the umbrella of the infrastructure committee headed by the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (formerly National Economic and Development Authority).
This was after the Senate finance committee directed the DENR to lay down all of its reports in their monitoring of the flood control projects, most of which had been tagged as dubious.
DENR Undersecretary Carlos David told the Senate in a hearing on Monday its initial findings, a copy of which the agency has yet to provide to reporters.
Initial findings on the flood control projects will undergo ‘further validation’ by other agencies, especially by the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Without disclosing any further details, the DENR said Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon had clarified to them that the list of flood control projects submitted by his agency ‘includes slope protection for major road projects’ that are not related to the former.
‘For instance, the Laguna lakeshore slope protection in Taguig City are part of the road projects and are not flood control projects,’ the DENR said in a statement.
Nevertheless, the agency said it will continue its work with the interagency subcommittee in improving its monitoring system by coming up with a ‘more integrated approach to flood and water resource development prior to the implementation of projects.’
‘The DENR’s monitoring is part of the policy and coordination functions of the subcommittee, and applies to water projects of other agencies including the NIA (National Irrigation Administration) and DENR,’ it added.