CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has tagged as priority the construction of water impounding facilities in Region 3 (Central Luzon) as a long-term solution to its flooding problems.

Marcos issued the directive after many provinces in the region were submerged in flood following the onslaught of Super Typhoon "Carina" and the southwest monsoon.

During a situation briefing with local executives of the provinces of Bulacan, Bataan and Pampanga at the Bulacan Capitol Building on Saturday, Marcos said he observed that water in the region had nowhere to go, thus affecting many areas.

"The water has nowhere to go. The water level in the sea and the river is high, there's also flood in the farmlands," Marcos said.

"So much water came down at the same time. Our slope protection, flood control and dikes could not accommodate it."

The President said that having more water impounding systems would mitigate flooding in Central Luzon.

Marcos explained that although there are dredging and pumping stations to suck floodwater to Manila Bay, the water impounding facilities will help in situations such as monsoon rainstorm, release of water from dams and high tide.

It can be recalled that the Department of Public Works and Highway identified in 2023, after the onslaught of Typhoons "Egay" and "Falcon," the plans for the construction of a water impounding facility at the Candaba swamp in Pampanga.

Its purpose is to collect the excess water released from the Bustos, Ipo and Angat dams.

In addition, the water impounding facility will be beneficial for the irrigation of rice farms during the summer, Marcos said.

Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando, meanwhile, said that the National Irrigation Administration has started the construction of the Bayabas Dam in the town of Donya Remedios Trinidad.

The P2.4-billion Bayabas Small Reservoir Irrigation Project will store excess water in this part of the Sierra Madre mountains.

During the summer, it will be transferred to the Angat-Bustos Dam system to irrigate 150 hectares of farmland in Bulacan.

Based on latest reports, Bulacan lost P103 million and P789 million in its agriculture and infrastructure sectors, respectively, while more than 400,000 families or 1 million individuals were affected.

Also affected were palay (unmilled rice), vegetables, corn, plantation crops, aquaculture, capture fisheries, livestock and poultry.

The Department of Agriculture also announced that the agricultural damage from Carina and the southwest monsoon already reached P400 million.

It affected some 21,785 farmers in Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western and Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen and Caraga.

The President said the restoration of the agricultural sector in typhoon-hit Bataan, Pampanga and Bulacan would be the priority of the Marcos administration to ensure harvest and food security.

Marcos conducted an aerial inspection of the three Central Luzon provinces to personally see the extent of the damages brought by the typhoon to the agricultural sector there.

"The three governors agree that they will fix agriculture first," Marcos said during a situation briefing after the inspection.

"So, we will do that quickly. That's what I'll do next. For the season to catch up. It will be difficult to harvest because of the typhoon," he added.

Although he assured that "we are all right" in the short term, Marcos stressed the need for long-term solutions.

"As you said, they're just starting to plant, so we can still catch up with the planting season," the President said.

The provincial governments of Bulacan, Bataan and Pampanga have already placed their respective provinces under a state of calamity because of the extensive damages brought by Carina and the southwest monsoon to the lives and livelihoods of the residents and the various sectors there.

A state of calamity will allow the provinces to access additional funds, as well as impose a price freeze on basic goods.

Fernando reported to the President that 17 Bulacan local government units were severely affected by the weather disturbances.

Two cities — Meycauayan and Malolos — and eight municipalities — Marilao, Calumpit, Santa Maria, Obando, Hagonoy, Guiguinto and Balagtas — experienced severe flooding, Fernando said.

He added that 13,021 families, or 48,000 individuals, were relocated in 318 evacuation centers.

As of Friday afternoon, 492,932 families were affected in the province, Fernando said, adding that there were two recorded casualties.

Also present at the briefing were Cabinet Secretary Antonio Lagdameo Jr., Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., Pampanga Gov. Dennis Pineda, Bataan Gov. Joet Garcia and Bulacan Vice Gov. Alexis Castro, among others.

Aside from building water impounding facilities, the three governors also want to build a megadike coastal defense from Obando in Bulacan to Mariveles in Bataan.

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