Inspection of Oplan Kontra Baha in Naga City 2/21/2025

Описание: Sagop Creek, Barangay Triangulo
February 21, 2026

Underscoring the Administration’s commitment to flood control and disaster preparedness, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. visits Naga City to personally inspect ongoing operations under Oplan Kontra Baha, the national government’s flood mitigation initiative, at Sagop Creek in Barangay Triangulo on February 21, 2026.

Led by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Oplan Kontra Baha aims to reduce flooding through rapid on-the-ground interventions. These include declogging canals, removing illegal obstructions along waterways, dredging rivers, rehabilitating pumping stations, maintaining flood-control structures, and mobilizing equipment and personnel in flood-prone areas.

In Naga City, the program focuses on the 10-kilometer Sagop Creek, a major waterway closely monitored by the local government. The creek’s channel passes through five (5) barangays: Del Rosario, Concepcion Grande, Concepcion Pequeña, Triangulo and Tabuco — areas that are highly vulnerable to flooding due to their proximity to the Bicol River Basin catchment.

During the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm ‘Kristine’ in 2024, Naga City recorded 700 millimeters of rainfall in just 24 hours — roughly equivalent to 2.5 months of rain — triggering widespread flooding across the City and nearby towns. In response, the President directed the DPWH to revisit the Bicol River Basin Development Program (BRBDP) as a critical flood-control measure for the Bicol Region.

As of February 20, initial clearing and desilting operations in Naga City have removed about 2,350 cubic meters of silt, vegetation and solid waste from priority waterways. These include Sagop Creek, sections in Barangay Concepcion Pequeña, the Bicol River (Esplanade section), and Milaor Creek along Maharlika Highway. The ongoing operations are part of immediate measures to restore hydraulic capacity in flood-prone areas.

Naga City was selected as a pilot area for Oplan Kontra Baha due to its high susceptibility to flooding within the Bicol River Basin and its experience of severe typhoon-induced flooding, highlighting the need for focused and sustained flood-mitigation efforts.

Apart from the clean-up operation in Naga City, the DPWH has led similar initiatives in Metro Manila, Cebu and Bacolod, and is preparing comparable efforts in Laguna, Iloilo City and Cagayan de Oro as part of the Administration’s intensified flood prevention drive.

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