Marcos pushes national flood control plan after Typhoon Carina damage

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. emphasized the need for a national flood control plan after inspecting damage caused by Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon (habagat) in Metro Manila on Thursday.

During a situation briefing in Bulacan on Saturday, Marcos highlighted that despite more flood control projects now compared to 2009 Ondoy floods, recent rains have led to worse flooding with lower rainfall volumes, attributing this to climate change and clogged pumping stations due to garbage.

The President instructed engineers from the Department of Public Works and Highways to find quick fixes for issues like the damaged navigation gate in Barangay Tanza and called on local officials to look for short-term solutions while repairs are ongoing; he also urged constructing a water impounding facility to address flooding in Central Luzon.

Governors reported that 492,000 families were affected by Typhoon Carina's onslaught in Bulacan, with two deaths and damage to agriculture and infrastructure at P103 million and P789 million respectively; in Pampanga, 400,000 individuals from 15 out of 21 local government units were affected, while Bataan reported 200,000 families affected with estimated damages.

The President noted that dikes may not be as effective as upstream impounding facilities and urged the departments of Health, Social Welfare and Labor to continue extending various assistance to the affected areas, including deploying vaccines for infants and young children and sending psychological experts.