Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is pushing to create a Pampanga River Basin Authority to serve as the central coordinating body for flood-control and flood-resilience efforts across the province and the interconnected areas of the Pampanga River Basin.
Filed on September 29, Senate Bill No. 2516 will create a permanent mechanism responsible for basin-wide planning, project coordination, technical review, monitoring, and accountability for flood-control projects in Pampanga.
The senator, who traces his roots to Pampanga, recently visited the province to see areas submerged in floodwaters due to typhoons and the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat).
“Taon-taon na lang, sa tuwing may ganitong sakuna, magagalit tayo at kakalampagin ang isa’t isa. Hanggang kelan ba dapat magdusa ang mga Cabalen dahil sa pagbaha sa kanilang lugar?,” he asked.
“Kagagaling ko lamang sa Pampanga at kitang-kita ng mga mata ko kung paano na lamang nilamon ng baha ang mga bahay at kabuhayan. Hindi na sana aabot sa ganito kung may malinaw at konkretong plano para dito,” he added.
Through SB 2516, Pangilinan aims to prepare and enforce a 20-year integrated basin plan and a rolling five-year investment program, require major projects to undergo a flood-compatibility review, and coordinate the operation and maintenance of dams, reservoirs, irrigation facilities, pumping stations, drainage systems, and flood-warning mechanisms.
Furthermore, the measure calls for integrating food security, agricultural and fishery production, local livelihoods, and fair compensation for land or livelihood areas deliberately used for flood storage.
It would, likewise, require major investments to undergo economic appraisal and disclose project costs, contracts, progress, payments, maintenance obligations, defects, corrective actions, and measurable outcomes through a public dashboard.
“By establishing one basin-wide plan and a clear system of accountability, the bill will help ensure that flood-control investments are properly sequenced, supported by scientific and economic evidence, and evaluated according to the losses they prevent,” the bill’s explanatory note stated.
“It will also protect food-producing areas, livelihoods, communities, and critical transport links from the effects of recurring flooding,” it added.
In the measure, Pangilinan lamented how flooding in Pampanga cost substantial losses on communities, agriculture, and transport.
Citing a report from the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, agricultural losses in Pampanga has reached P1.164 billion as of September 14. This accounts for more than half of the P2.204 billion recorded losses across Central Luzon.
Some 35,990 farmers and fisherfolk in the region were also affected, while recent flooding in San Simon disrupted operations on the North Luzon Expressway, delaying people and goods.
“Ang tunay na malasakit at serbisyo sa ating mga kababayan ay makikita sa paggawa ng sistemang magpoprotekta sa kanila bago pa lang dumating ang baha. Hindi na dapat aabot pa sa nawalan ng buhay, ari-arian, at kabuhayan ang ating mga Cabalen kung kikilos na tayo ngayon,” the senator said.