MANILA, Philippines – Days after Severe Tropical Storm Kristine wreaked havoc on parts of Luzon, particularly in the Bicol region, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the review of the Bicol River Basin Development Program (BRBDP).

It was a project that started in the 70s under the administration of his late father and former president Ferdinand E. Marcos.

In a briefing on Monday, October 28 in Camp Aguinaldo, Department of Public Works and Highways Manuel Bonoan said that the project had a flood control component but it was not the main focus.

“[N]gayon ang tinitingnan ni Presidente when we were discussing again ‘yung Bicol River Basin Development Program, sabi niya this time can you focus on the flood mitigation component na dapat i-address natin dito sa Bicol River Basin?” said Bonoan.

(Now when we were discussing again the Bicol River Basin Development Program. He said this time can you focus on the flood mitigation component that we have to address here in the Bicol River Basin?)

What is the program about?

The BRBDP was considered an experiment in geography-based planning.

It focused on the construction of farm-to-market roads, irrigation systems and flood controls, implementing agrarian reform and social services.

The United States Agency for International Development funded the program for a decade. Bonoan said the project was scrapped in 1986 after a change in administration.

A 2012 review funded by the United Nations Development Program identified the issues that beset the program as: poor design and engineering, inadequate coordination between projects implementers and lead agencies, limited input from local leaders.

“As a program principally of technical physical infrastructure projects, the BRBDP needed perfect designs, which in several areas was not achieved, creating problems for both agencies and the beneficiaries,” the paper read.

Despite some failures in construction, the paper conceded that the program seems to have had “long-lasting benefits” in some communities. But flooding persists “due to the nature of the river basin.”

One criticism of the program, however, was its heavy focus on physical infrastructure. Revisiting the program now would have to take into account the global trend to shift to more nature-based solutions.

The Asian Development Bank, which is supporting this initiative in six river basins in the Philippines, defines these solutions as “green and inclusive interventions that respect river dynamics and ecosystem functions.”

Among them are wetland restoration, floodplain widening, and removal of embankment.

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The Bicol River Basin

The Bicol River is the eighth largest river in the Philippines in terms of drainage basin size (called the Bicol River Basin or BRB), the latter covering the provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur, and Camarines Norte.

The Bicol River Basin is divided into eight sub-basins, the largest of which is the Libmanan-Pulantuna sub-basin which measures 74,416 hectares. Within the river basin are three major lakes: Lake Buhi, Lake Bato, and Lake Baao.

The basin’s geography makes it susceptible to flooding, especially the areas near the San Miguel Bay which are prone to storm surges caused by slow-moving typhoons.

A 2015 document from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources attributed the risk to the “combined effect of the regular passage of typhoons, high runoff in the surrounding volcanic and sedimentary terrains and the natural low elevation of the Bicol Plain.”

This lowland area lies between the Bicol Cordillera and the Ragay Hills.

Much of the river basin – 83% or 262,246 hectares to be specific – are used for agriculture, settlements, and other commercial purposes, according to the same document.

When the rain pours for days, many residents within the river basin are bound to find their homes flooded. This would damage crops, livelihood, and income.

“Ang dahilan po doon ay talagang unprecedented ‘yung lakas ng ulan at nasabay ‘yung high tide dito sa San Miguel Bay,” said Office of Civil Defense regional director Claudio Yucot in the same briefing on Monday.

“Itong San Miguel Bay is the only exit or drain ng Bicol River Basin. So isa lang itong exit, kasabay pa ng high tide kaya ‘yung ulan hindi kaagad [na-drain].”

(The reason for flooding is the unprecedented volume of rain which coincided with the high tide of the San Miguel Bay. San Miguel Bay is the only exit or drain of the Bicol River Basin. This is just one exit, and then the high tide occurred so the rainwater wasn’t drained immediately.)

The situation now

The flooding did not only cause damage to property, it also impeded the distribution of aid to affected communities.

Access to Bicol via land was cut off as vehicles could not pass through inundated roads. The government relied on stocks within the local government and relief supplies which could be delivered by aircraft. Singapore and Malaysia deployed aircraft to speed up relief distribution.

Yucot reported on Monday that they were able to alleviate traffic a bit in flooded areas of Milaor, Camarines Sur, after they pushed aside stalled vehicles.

The latest report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council released on Tuesday, October 29, counted 7,134,954 individuals affected by Kristine. About 125 were reportedly killed, but only 14 have been validated so far. The cost of damage to infrastructure reached P1.5 million.

According to Bonoan, a master plan for the Bicol River Basin flood control component was already completed last July.

“Detailed engineering will be in 2025, and the civil works, the flood control projects under this program will be implemented anytime soon in 2026 and thereafter,” Bonoan said in a mix of Filipino and English.

The DPWH secretary noted that the Korea Eximbank is set to fund the project. – Rappler.com