ILOILO CITY (PNA) – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is mapping out a master plan to construct 12 more multi-billion flood-control and drainage projects nationwide.

DPWH Regional Director Rolando Asis said studies are now being conducted to determine the feasibility of building flood-control projects nationwide and 12 key river-basins in various parts of the country where major flooding will most likely happen have been identified.

In Region 6, the plan includes the construction of one such project for Aklan River in Numancia, Aklan province.

Asis said the DPWH wants to be pro-active in planning for the occurrence of big floods, earthquakes and all other calamities.

The planning is being done as speedily as possible particularly since Typhoon Ondoy was a big eye-opener.

That typhoon, along with typhoon Pepeng resulted in widespread misery, with losses of more than 300 lives and billions of pesos worth of properties in Metro Manila, the national capital region, up north and others parts in Luzon.

The DPWH is completing its first major flood-control project in Iloilo City.

Details in the DPWH-proposed master plan, include such areas needing flood control and drainage projects under Package 1 as Agos in CALABARZON (Region 4A), Yawa/Basud/Quirangay in Bicol Region (Region 5) and Amburayan in Ilocos Region (Region 1) and the Cordillera Autonomous Region.

Areas under Package 2 include Balete in MIMAROPA (Region 4-B), Aklan River in Western Visayas (Region 6) and Dungcaan (Pagbangaan) in Eastern Visayas (Region 8); Package 3: Guinabasan in Central Visayas (Region 7), Lake Mainit-Tubay in Caraga (Region 13) and Iponan in Northern Mindanao (Region 10); and Package 4: Tumaga in Zambonga Peninsula (Region 9), Lipadas in Davao Region (Region 11) and Silway-Popong-Sinaual (Polomolok) in SOCCSKSARGEN (Region 12).

These major river basins have been chosen because of their frequency of overflows, bank collapse, landslides and flash floods.