Tiangco pushes national flood control plan

NAVOTAS City Rep. Toby Tiangco said a comprehensive national flood control plan was needed to solve the problem of flooding, noting the country must be proactive in dealing with disasters.

«The recent flooding in Metro Manila showed us that there is a need to prepare and be more proactive in our flood programs,» Tiangco told members of the Camanava Press Corps.

«Instead of being reactive to the effects of climate change, we should put in place a large-scale and long-term plan against floods,» he added.

Navotas Rep. Tobias 'Toby” Tiangco. Photo from House of Representatives of the Philippines

Tiangco cited a directive by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to update flood hazard maps, adding addressing the challenges of new weather patterns should be a top priority of the national government.

«Like the President noted, we were caught by surprise. Some areas that were not known to flood were submerged during the recent typhoon. We will only be able to do this if we take an integrated, interagency approach that will undertake a comprehensive review and analysis of current flood risks, as well as a multi-disciplinary approach to proposed mechanisms for flood control,» he said.

Tiangco added the problem of flooding encompasses many dimensions, including climate change, urbanization, lack of infrastructure and human behavior.

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He said funding was crucial for the government to harness the latest technologies in solving the problem of flooding.

«The times are changing, and it is the responsibility of the government to keep up and make sure that the people are safe,» Tiangco added.