Photo courtesy of Bong Villacruz/PNA
Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo on Thursday welcomed the national government’s commitment to continue flood mitigation projects in the city, saying sustained desilting operations would help reduce flooding in vulnerable communities.
Robredo joined Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon in inspecting ongoing desilting activities under the Oplan Kontra Baha program.
She said the additional heavy equipment deployed by the DPWH would strengthen the city’s capacity to clear heavily silted rivers and waterways.
According to Robredo, water had already begun flowing more freely in partially cleared sections, raising hopes that downstream communities would experience less flooding during heavy rains.
She added that some smaller waterways remained difficult to restore because hardened sediment could not be removed effectively through manual clearing or conventional equipment.
The DPWH earlier deployed eight heavy equipment units to support desilting operations in the Bicol, Naga and Sagop rivers, which are among the city’s major waterways.
Dizon said the agency was expanding flood mitigation efforts nationwide to improve preparedness for stronger typhoons, stressing that lasting results require continuous maintenance rather than one-time interventions.
He also assured the city government that Oplan Kontra Baha would continue in Naga as part of the Marcos administration’s broader flood control program.
Naga is among the flood-prone areas in Camarines Sur, prompting regular desilting and waterway clearing to improve water flow and lessen the impact of heavy rainfall.