A technical working group from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) central office conducted an ocular inspection of Bato river and Pajo river in Virac last week in preparation for dredging activities under the national government’s Oplan Kontra Baha.
A check of the OKB dashboard as of Sept. 17, 2026 showed that among the 35 Bicol waterways slated for implementation this year, only Bato river is listed for Catanduanes.
The dashboard did not indicate the planned volume to be dredged or when the project will be started.
Camarines Sur has 30 rivers and creeks in the OKB dredging and desilting projects, with majority of them within the jurisdiction of the 1st District Engineering Office.
The 1st district, represented in the House of Representatives by Congressman Tsuyoshi Anthony Horibata, is composed of the towns of Cabusao, Del Gallego, Lupi, Ragay and Sipocot.
The DPWH Regional Office No. 5 is implementing three of the 35 projects: Makabalo river in Legazpi City, Oas Creek in Albay, and Tugos-Piot Creek in Sorsogon City.
So far, only three dredging and desilting projects in the region have been undertaken by the DPWH RO5 and the Camarines Sur 1st DEO: Sagop Creek in Concepcion Pequena., Naga City, with a volume of 102,027 cubic meters and an accomplishment of 46.2%; Milaor Creek in Camarines Sur, with a volume of 10,880 cubic meters and accomplishment of 100%; and Matiway Creek in Naga City, with a volume of 600 cubic meters and accomplishment of 100%.
The inspection conducted by the DPWH engineers and DPWH Catanduanes District Engineer Vivian Biaco on Sept. 13, 2026 was reportedly prompted by the official request of Talino at Galing ng Pinoy (TGP) Partylist Rep. Jose “Bong” Teves Jr. for the infra agency to determine the major cause of siltation of both rivers and the resultant overflowing of its banks during inclement weather.
He asked the agency to consider sustainable solutions and dredging interventions to minimize flooding in nearby communities.
The following day, Sept. 14, DPWH Undersecretary for Special Concerns Charles T. Calima, Jr., arrived to preside over the coordination meeting on Oplan Kontra Baha in the presence of local officials and technical personnel of the DPWH Catanduanes DEO.
Present during the meeting at Queen Maricel Inn in Virac were Congressman Eulogio Rodriguez, Governor Patrick Alain Azanza, ten of the 11 municipal mayors, their municipal engineers and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officers (MDRRMOs).
One by one, the local chief executives and their representatives discussed their experiences with regards to flooding and identified low-lying areas and waterways affected by floods during heavy rains and typhoons that could be included in the OKB implementation list.
An official of the Catanduanes DEO who spoke to the media said that site inspections would be conducted at the proposed sites, with the clearing, widening and/or deepening of the water channels to be undertaken using manual labor or heavy equipment.
A workshop would be held to map out the proposed sites and identify the critical areas that would be prioritized after diligent technical assessment.
The technical team also floated the possibility of the DPWH working with local government units and the private sector in implementing various measures to minimize flooding in Catanduanes.
In an interview with a member of the local media, Usec. Calima clarified that projects under OKB will not involve the construction of new structures but only mitigation measures intended to lessen the occurrence of flooding.
He said that the ocular inspection of Bato and Pajo rivers indicated that both waterways are heavily silted and would need to be desilted or dredged, with the extent still to be determined.
This will involve a whole-of-nation approach, the former Catanduanes police director stated, with other national agencies, the LGUs and the private sector joining in.
He disclosed that the governor had already requested the DPWH to undertake appropriate action on the flooding problem and that during the recent Congress hearing on the agency’s 2027 budget, TGP Rep. Teves asked him to visit the province to check on the actual situation.
It may be recalled that last year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. launched Oplan Kontra Baha and directed DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon to lay down long-term programs to reduce flooding not only in Metro Manila but in other parts of the country, such as Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Tarlac and Naga City, Camarines Sur as well as parts of the Visayas and Mindanao.
Among these initiatives cited by the DPWH are cleaning and dredging of waterways in flood-prone and low-lying areas and construction and maintenance of pumping stations.
In Metro Manila, OKB was supposed to be carried out from November 2025 to July 2026, with the DPWH and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) spearheading the multi-sectoral partnership among several national government agencies, local government units and major private corporations.
The clearing campaign covered a total of 142.4 kilometers of rivers, creeks and esteros, and 333.15 kilometers of drainage systems throughout Metro Manila aimed at minimizing flooding in low-lying areas during the typhoon season.
However, the arrival of the Southwest Monsoon this year resulted in frequent flooding in the metropolis that was blamed on siltation and waste buildup in waterways and drainage systems as well as defective pumping stations.