Civil Defense Chief Calls for Thorough Review of River Basins and Dams.

Quezon City: Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno is advocating for an integrated and comprehensive strategy to manage river basins to mitigate future flooding. He emphasized the importance of prioritizing at least 18 major river basins, beginning with the Bicol River Basin, as per the directive of President Marcos.

According to Philippines News Agency, Nepomuceno highlighted the need to closely examine the Cagayan River Basin and the Pasig, Marikina River Basin, which have historically caused significant damage. Speaking at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, he elaborated on the necessity of combining engineering solutions, such as constructing elevated dams that would serve dual purposes of electricity generation and flood control.

In the face of Super Typhoon Pepito, predicted to be ‘catastrophic’ by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, President Marcos has instructed the OCD to ensure that evacuation centers are located in flo
od-free and landslide-free areas. Nepomuceno relayed President Marcos’s directive to guarantee the safety of evacuation centers.

Local government units and the Department of Public Works and Highways are currently assessing all evacuation centers. Nepomuceno noted that thousands of evacuation centers, including schools, are being evaluated. Future constructions must avoid landslide-prone, storm surge-prone, and flood-prone areas to ensure safety.