Refocusing the Bicol River Basin Development Program (BRBDP): The Need for an Integrated Approach to Planning and Implementation

The perennial problem of flooding in the Bicol region was recently highlighted in the aftermath of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine in October 2024. Its damage and devastation prompted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to order a review and assessment of the Bicol River Basin Development Program (BRBDP). The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was tasked to focus on flood mitigation component of the program. Secretary Manuel Bonoan in a press briefing stated that the feasibility study was completed on July 2024, the detailed engineering will be in 2025, the civil works, flood control projects will be completed in 2026 and thereafter. The Korea Eximbank will fund the project with a preliminary estimated cost of PHP75 billion which includes the long-term construction of Sabo Dam in Albay with an estimated cost of PHP22 billion. (Gozum, 2024)