WATER KNOWS NO POLITICAL BOUNDARIES: DPWH-6 chief urges unity to solve Iloilo City flooding

By Mariela Angella Oladive

“Water knows no political boundaries.”

This was the reminder from Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Western Visayas Officer-in-Charge Regional Director Engr. Jose Al Fruto during a People’s Meeting on Wednesday, October 29, where he called for collective action and coordination among government agencies, local officials, and communities to address Iloilo City’s flooding problems.

“Our purpose in coming here is to talk and exchange ideas because our goal is to solve the flooding problem. Not a single person can solve this; all of us must cooperate and unite to address it,” Fruto said.

He noted that the government has been studying and implementing flood control measures in the city since 1992, citing the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) study that led to projects such as the 4.75-kilometer Jaro Floodway, which manages overflows from the Tigum and Aganan rivers.

While the project has reduced flooding, Fruto acknowledged that climate change has intensified rainfall and surface runoff in recent years.

“In the past, when it rained, the drops were small, but now they are as large as corn kernels. The precipitation has become very intense,” he said.

“During Typhoon Frank, for instance, an enormous amount of rain fell over our city—a very small area—within just six hours, so naturally, it caused major flooding.”

Fruto emphasized that flood mitigation should not depend solely on infrastructure, urging regular drainage maintenance, creek rehabilitation, and relocation of informal settlers from danger zones such as riverbanks and creeks.

“It is not always about building new infrastructure. We must also ask: can we clean and maintain our drainage systems? Can we restore the creeks that have disappeared because of encroaching structures? These are questions we need to answer,” he said.

Fruto explained that water flows beyond geographical and political divisions, calling for a watershed-based approach to flood management.

“Does water recognize political boundaries? Can it choose not to flow through one barangay and move only through another? Of course not. Water transcends political boundaries—that is why we need to unite,” he stressed.

He added that while large-scale flood control projects take time, local communities can help by cleaning drainage systems and coordinating the relocation of families in high-risk areas to reduce hazards.

Fruto made the statement after Councilor Nene De Llana questioned Engr. Roy Pacanan, officer-in-charge of the DPWH–Iloilo City District Engineering Office (ICDEO), about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s earlier remarks describing certain Iloilo flood control projects as “palpak and delayed.”

The President made the comment during his inspection of flood control projects in the city on August 13, which was later posted—and then deleted—from his official Facebook page for undisclosed reasons.

The People’s Meeting served as the final session of a four-part series organized by the office of Rep. Julienne “Jam-jam” Baronda, in partnership with DPWH–ICDEO.

The discussion focused on the flooding situation in the Lapuz and La Paz districts and included representatives from national and local government agencies, city offices, barangays, and residents to strengthen coordination and transparency in implementing projects under the JICA study and the city’s Comprehensive Drainage Masterplan.

Baronda said the series also serves as part of preparations for the 2027 budget proposal, following President Marcos’ decision to remove allocations for 2026 flood control projects under the proposed national budget.

She warned that the move would cut hundreds of millions in flood mitigation funds, noting that around PHP 500 million has already been removed from the National Expenditure Program (NEP).