FLOOD CONTROL DRIVE. The Department of Public Works and Highways and the local government of Apayao, in partnership with San Miguel Corporation, launch a joint flood-control initiative to dredge and clear waterways in the province. The “Oplan Kontra Baha” project will run from September 2026 to September 2027 and cover about 12 rivers and creeks spanning a combined 57.52 kilometers, according to DPWH. (Contributed photo)
BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), San Miguel Corp. (SMC) and the Apayao provincial government have launched a joint flood-control initiative that will include dredging and clearing waterways in the province.
The “Oplan Kontra Baha” project will run from September 2026 to September 2027 and cover about 12 rivers and creeks spanning a combined 57.52 kilometers, DPWH Undersecretary Charles Calima Jr., commander of the agency’s Oplan Kontra Baha Task Force, said Thursday.
“The primary objective of this joint initiative is to curb chronic flooding during heavy rains and typhoons,” Calima told the Philippine News Agency. “Flood mitigation strategies will focus heavily on continuous dredging operations, waterway clearing and intensive desilting.”
The Abulug River, a major waterway in the Apayao-Abulug River Basin, will be a primary focus of the operations.
Calima said project sites were identified after area assessments with local officials to determine recurring flood-prone areas.
The Apayao-Abulug River Basin connects Apayao in the Cordillera Administrative Region with Cagayan in Region 2.
A Department of Environment and Natural Resources report identifies it as one of three major river basins in the Cordillera and one of nine major river basins in the Philippines.
In addition to dredging and desilting, the project will include waterway clearing and waste collection and hauling.
The initiative will be jointly implemented by the DPWH, Apayao government and SMC, which will provide additional heavy equipment and personnel for the dredging operations.
SMC has previously partnered with the DPWH on Oplan Kontra Baha projects in other rural and urban areas.
Earlier this week, the DPWH and SMC also began dredging the Gugu River along the Bacolor-Sto. Tomas-Minalin Tail Dike in Minalin, Pampanga, as part of the agency’s flood-control program. (PNA)