Manila residents may suffer a repeat of the devastation caused by heavy floods in the region because plans for the P82-billion flood-control projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) remain in the drawing board for lack of foreign funds, an official said on Thursday.

Patrick Gatan, DPWH major flood control project director, said the mega-floods caused by the typhoons could have been averted and many lives saved if only the projects were implemented.

“We have the right plans conceptualized way back in the 1970s but these were not implemented because we cannot get foreign funding,” Gatan said.

In a separate interview, DPWH Undersecretary Jaime Pacanan said most flood-control projects should have been funded under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) because local funds are insufficient to cover implementation.

Also, many of these projects were reportedly not funded because they were not seen as priority projects.

“After Ondoy gave us a shocking wake-up call, it is now high-time to re-evaluate our priorities, we may now have to make a serious evaluation of these unimplemented flood-control projects,” he added.

Gatan said that people in the metropolis will have to bear the floods for up to 10 years or more as these projects go through feasibility studies, government and funding agency approval, bidding and construction period before they can provide relief to flood-prone areas.

Nine of 15 flood-control projects have not gone past the drawing board. These include the Integrated Drainage Improvement Project in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and surrounding areas which needs P7.9 billion; and the Drainage Improvement in the Core Area of Metropolitan Manila (which could have prevented perennial flooding in 73 sq. km of Metro Manila), P15.3 billion.

Other key flood-control projects are the East Manggahan Floodway Area Flood Mitigation Project, P8.3 billion; the San Juan River Flood Control Project, P5.7 billion; the Upper Marikina River Improvement Project, P3.008 billion; the Marikina Dam Project, P4 billion.