A Philippine flood control project

The Sun Star (Philippines): President Benigno Aquino III and his economic team recently approved a project that aims to address the flooding problem in the low-lying municipalities in Pampanga delta especially during the rainy season.

Spearheaded by the Departments of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Education (DepEd), the project involves the elevation of 26 schools and reconstruction of 232 school rooms in 47 flood-affected elementary schools, benefitting around 35,057 pupils. To be constructed as well are 11 deep well pumps in schools without potable water source and establishment of flood control measures in the area’s rivers.

South Korea, through its Economic Development Cooperation Fund, will spend P3.9 billion or 83.77 percent of the P4.66 billion project titled Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) Measures in Low-Lying Areas of Pampanga Bay. The Philippine government, on the other hand, will shell out P755.53 million for the project which has yet to disclose timetable.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano Paderanga said this project aims to reduce the flood level from 1.42 to 2.99 meters and the number of flood-affected areas from 40,150 hectares to 23,780 hectares in the low-lying areas of Pampanga Bay...

Landslide in Barangay San Juan Banyo which is in the Arayat National Park. The mud buried alive 12 villagers, eight of them children, at the height of then tropical storm Ketsana on Saturday, September 26 2009. Shot by Susan Corpuz , Wikimedia Commons via Flickr, under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license