President Rodrigo Duterte has approved proposed flood mitigation projects in Marikina City and Cagayan Valley, Malacañang said Wednesday after the two areas were deluged by heavy rains last month.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources presented the initiatives to the Cabinet during a meeting earlier this week, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.
Marikina City and Cagayan Valley were severely flooded during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses (Vamco) last month, trapping residents on their roofs and prompting calls for help on social media.
The floods were so severe that it drew comparisons to Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) in 2009.
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The Department of Public Works and Highways reported that it has at least three major flood control projects in Metro Manila underway worth P138 billion.
Duterte earlier issued an executive order creating the Build Back Better Task Force which Roque said is geared towards "strengthening rehabilitation and recovery efforts in typhoon-hit areas."
The Philippines is battered by an average 20 typhoons yearly, some of them deadly.
