DPWH: Dredging projects to be centralized

As part of efforts to boost flood-control measures and address long-neglected river maintenance, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will take over dredging and desilting operations nationwide instead of outsourcing them to contractors.

- By JANVIC MATEO

"I think one of the problems we're facing right now is actually the very shallow riverbeds. For the longest time — for many, many years — there hasn't been much desilting and dredging of rivers in the country," Public Works Secretary Manny Bonoan said in an interview with "Storycon" on One News yesterday.

"We plan to undertake the dredging of rivers so the carrying capacity will be more efficient," he added.

Asked about concerns over the difficulty in auditing dredging projects, Bonoan said they plan to capacitate DPWH personnel to handle the work internally.

"What seems to be the problem before is when it is done by contract... But we can do it ourselves. We'll be auditing our people if the work has been done properly," he said.

"We will acquire our equipment. Our people will do it ourselves... It's the department itself, the people in the department who will do the dredging," the DPWH chief added.

Bonoan said they will again request Congress to include funds in the 2026 budget to purchase dredging equipment, but noted the program will start ahead of that allocation as part of major floodcontrol initiatives.

"Everybody is concerned about flooding... All we have to do is to convince them that our approach has to be all integrated and holistic. This is what we're trying to do in many parts of the country now," he said, referring to politicians.