Press Release

As typhoon season sets in the Philippines again, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said the completed flood risk management project in Tagoloan River is an important project that can help mitigate flooding in the area.

More than 1,000 households along the river banks are at risk during strong typhoons. Hence, under the project, a dike was built at the upstream part of the river while sluiceway and drainage canals were constructed using Japanese technology to prevent water overflow and drain rainwater into the river.

Tagoloan River is one of the largest river systems in the Philippines. In 2014, during Typhoon Senyang, massive flooding damaged properties and livelihood in Tagoloan. "We hope that the flood control project will ensure the protection of nearly a hundred commercial and industrial buildings, as well as 1,162 residential houses in Tagaloan," said Ramon Arriola, Director of the DPWH Unified Project Management Office Flood Control Management Cluster.

Philippine government data showed that the country lost P96 billion from storms and floods in 2006 to 2015.

The Tagoloan River is one of three river systems under the Flood Risk Management Project of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project with DPWH. Two other rivers are Cagayan and Imus Rivers. Aside from flood control structures, JICA and DPWH also implement non-structural measures (e.g. disaster awareness, drills, hazard maps) under the project to mitigate flood disasters.

"JICA continues to work with the Philippines to promote self-reliance and self-help while also sharing Japan's experience and technology to address development challenges. Through our disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) activities, we'd like to contribute to building the resiliency of Filipinos, and enhance the business potential of vulnerable areas," said JICA Philippines Senior Representative OHSHIMA Ayumu.

Since the 1970s, JICA has provided DRR support to the Philippines amounting to 345 billion yen. Currently, JICA is implementing other structural projects in the country like Flood Risk Management Project for Cagayan de Oro River, Cavite Industrial Area Flood Risk Management Project, and Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project. On-going non-structural JICA DRR projects in the Philippines, meanwhile, include Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Capacity Enhancement Project with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), School DRRM in Cebu, Master Plan and Feasibility Study on Flood Control in Davao City, Flood Forecasting and Warning System for Cagayan de Oro, and Capacity Building for High Quality Weather Observation, Forecast Warning, and Information in the Philippines.