*Rep. Polong asks Dizon to look for JICA flood control plan
By Ivy Tejano
DAVAO CITY – Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon ordered the immediate dredging of the Talomo River after learning that the waterway had allegedly not been desilted for about 10 years.
The DPWH Secretary said that the flooding at Central Park Subdivision, Bangkal and NHA village may have been attributed to the heavily silted river.
Dizon inspected the flood-hit areas in the city and expressed frustration over the recurring flooding, noting that the same areas were badly affected in 2019 , according to residents.
He questioned why another major flood occurred despite the previous disaster, saying the DPWH and local government should have implemented long-term measures to prevent similar incidents.
Dizon said major rivers should undergo annual dredging by DPWH and ordered the immediate desilting of the Talomo River in the Talomo District to address the residents’ concerns about flooding.
He also directed the reconstruction of the existing flood control dike, including raising the revetment by at least two meters high and extending it all the way to the river’s outlet the Davao Gulf.
The secretary also ordered an investigation into the recurring flooding to determine its cause, despite substantial public funds allocated to flood control projects in the area.
However, available DPWH records show that the Talomo River has been the site of several flood mitigation and riverbank protection projects since 2018.
Government records indicate that more than P690 million in completed flood mitigation projects have been implemented along various sections of the river.
These include a P65-million modified flood mitigation structure in 2018 and six major flood control contracts awarded in 2021 covering areas such as NHA Bangkal, Teacher’s Village, and other sections of the Talomo River. The projects were worth more than P487 million combined.
In 2024, the DPWH completed flood mitigation works downstream of the Puan Bypass Bridge, including reinforced concrete walls, steel sheet piles, and channel improvements.
Earlier this year, the department completed a P86.51-million concrete revetment wall measuring about 1,081.3 linear meters in the Balite section of Barangay Calinan. Another P50-million revetment project was implemented in Los Amigos.
Records also show that several additional Talomo River projects proposed for 2025 were later canceled or failed during procurement and were not implemented.
The projects indicate that flood control work has been carried out along the river. However, Dizon maintained that the lack of regular dredging over the past decade contributed significantly to the recent flooding.
Dizon said the investigation will look into whether inadequate maintenance dredging, the effectiveness and coverage of existing flood control structures, watershed conditions, or other factors contributed to the recurring floods.
Meanwhile, Davao City First District Rep. Paolo Duterte agreed with Dizon’s frustration but called on the DPWH to examine its own records and explain why long-term flood control plans were not fully implemented.
“You’re right, Vince Dizon. It is truly frustrating,” Duterte said in a Filipino dialect.
Duterte pointed to the Davao Flood Control Master Plan developed with assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which he said had been submitted to the national government as early as 2023 but remained unimplemented.
The lawmaker questioned Dizon’s statement that he had only recently learned about the master plan and that funding would be proposed under the 2027 General Appropriations Act.
“So the question is, where was the plan for the past three years?” Duterte said.
Duterte said Dizon’s question about why more substantial action was not taken after the 2019 flooding was valid, but argued that the answers could be found within the DPWH’s own records.
The congressman urged the department to review its records to determine who prepared and approved projects, how funding decisions were made, and why the master plan was not acted upon sooner.
Duterte also said flood control should not focus solely on dredging, but should also include river improvements, dikes, drainage systems, watershed management, funding, and the implementation of a long-term master plan.
He said the JICA plan had already provided a blueprint for flood control, but questioned the delay in implementing it.
Duterte called on the DPWH to prioritize accountability and action, saying Davao residents should no longer have to wait for solutions to recurring flooding.
“The people of Davao deserve better than delayed promises. They deserve accountability, decisive leadership, and the immediate implementation of a flood control plan that should have started years ago,” Duterte said.
