Davao city: Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon has ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways Region 11 (DPWH-11) to expedite the repair of a critical flood control dike in Bangkal, Talomo District, to prevent severe flooding in the area. Dizon also directed the immediate dredging of the Talomo River, which has not undergone desilting for the past decade.

According to Philippines News Agency, during an inspection on Wednesday, Secretary Dizon expressed his frustration over the prolonged delays, noting that billions of pesos had been allocated since 2019 to address flooding issues, yet projects remain incomplete. "I'm upset because there was actually a project to raise the height of the dike by two meters, but the work was cut short and not completed. Billions in DPWH funds have poured into this area," Dizon remarked in an interview.

Dizon estimated the repair cost at less than PHP100 million and emphasized that the delays were due to leadership lapses within the agency. He stated, "I don't think it will reach PHP100 million. This is not expensive, yet it was not done-obviously, it was DPWH's fault-it's leadership, right."

The Secretary also admitted he had only recently been informed about a master plan by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is slated for funding under the 2027 General Appropriations Act. "It was not yet implemented. We will fund it for 2027 because we don't have the funds at the moment," he revealed, further adding that he was informed by the regional director that it was not yet approved.

As part of the long-term solutions, Dizon mentioned that flood mitigation efforts must include upstream interventions, such as constructing a dam or a detention basin in the mountainous regions of Davao City to slow down water flow into the city. "For now, we'll conduct dredging here and at the sea outlet, working our way up, and then construct the gabion dike," he added.