Construction Starts for Final Phase of Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project

Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa joined Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Roger Mercado at the groundbreaking ceremony for the fourth and final phase of Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project (PMRCIP), which aims to further mitigate flooding due to overflow of Pasig and Marikina Rivers.
 
The ceremony, held on November 16th at the EFCOS Compound in Barangay Manggahan, Pasig City along Marikina River, was also attended by DPWH Undersecretary and Chief Implementer of Flagship Projects under Build, Build, Build (BBB) Program Emil K. Sadain, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Chief Representative Eigo Azukizawa other officials and representatives of local government units and partner national government agencies.
 
The civil works for Phase 4 will increase the flood capacity of Pasig-Marikina River and address the downstream of Manggahan Floodway to Marikina Bridge with the construction of the Manggahan Control Gate Structure as well as two (2) floodgates at the adjoining sections of Cainta and Taytay Rivers. The project also includes non-structural measures such as information campaign and publicity, flood mitigation committee, flood hazard map and environmental monitoring, all aimed to fully support the holistic disaster control approach of the Philippine government.
 
Together, these measures are expected to protect communities near Pasig and Marikina River from flood damage caused by channel overflow.
 
PMRCIP is the flagship initiative of the long-standing disaster management cooperation between Japan and the Philippines.  Phase 1 of the project covers the overall detailed design which was completed in March 2002, followed by Phase 2 covering Pasig River Channel improvement works from Delpan Bridge to Napindan Hydraulic Control Gate Structure and completed in May 2013.  Phase 3 covered the Lower Marikina Channel improvement works from Napindan Channel to downstream Manggahan Floodway including additional dredging works completed in July 2020.  The entire PMRCIP was funded by a loan agreement between the Philippine Government through DPWH and Japanese Government through JICA.