ADB to be tapped for study on protecting Manila Bay coastline

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said it plans to tap the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to fund the feasibility of a project to protect the Manila Bay coastline.

“We will submit a request to ADB under IPIF (infrastructure preparation and innovation facility) for an in-depth feasibility study for this project,” Public Works and Highways Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon told the House Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Dizon was responding to a query about construction plans around the bay to minimize floods in Metro Manila and Central Luzon.

The Manila Bay shoreline touches Metro Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, and Cavite.

Coastal protection forms part of the around Manila Bay Integrated Development Plan.

“This will be a major feasibility study. I am quite confident that the ADB will accept this so that we can start this project,” Mr. Dizon said.

The project also called the Manila Bay Integrated Flood Control, Coastal Defense and Expressway Project, is designed to reduce the risk of flooding via a coastal dike which will also serve as a roadway to improve vehicle flow.

In August, the DPWH tapped the Japan International Cooperation Agency to expedite the updating of flood control master plans for the Pasig-Marikina and Cagayan River basins.

Last week, the DPWH trimmed P255 billion from its 2026 budget. It removed mostly local flood control projects.

The DPWH’s proposed budget for 2026 is now been reduced to P625.78 billion, 28.9% lower than the original proposal.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. last week called for a “sweeping review” of the 2026 public works budget after the failure of many flood-control projects during the July rains. — Ashley Erika O. Jose