Maintenance and Protection of Flood Control System
Letter of Instructions No. 410, issued by President Ferdinand E. Marcos on May 29, 1976, addresses the urgent need for public awareness regarding flood control systems in Metro Manila and Central Luzon, particularly following the devastation caused by Typhoon Didang. The letter highlights misconceptions about the Arnedo Dike and its effectiveness, as well as issues related to clogged drainage systems due to improper waste disposal. To mitigate future calamities, the President directs the Secretary of Public Information to ensure widespread dissemination of accurate information, the Secretary of National Defense to enforce laws against obstruction of flood control constructions, and the Secretary of Local Government to involve local communities in maintenance efforts. This initiative aims to improve public understanding and management of flood-related infrastructure.
May 29, 1976
LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 410
| TO | : | The Secretary |
| Department of Public Information | ||
| The Secretary | ||
| Department of National Defense | ||
| The Secretary | ||
| Department of Local Government and Community Development |
WHEREAS, the tragic plight of the thousands of victims of the recent calamity wrought by Typhoon Didang and damage to property left in its wake are traceable to a considerable degree to the misapprehension of the populace on the different facets of the flood control system in Metro Manila and Central Luzon, notably the misconception that the Arnedo Dike protects the inhabitants in the towns on the Pampanga river bank, like San Simon, Apalit and Arayat, when in fact it has already been abandoned and no longer maintained because a level, higher than the Arnedo Dike and 500 meters farther from the river, has been built, to protect the inhabitants living along the riverbank; and the misinformation that the Pantabangan and Arayat dams are partly responsible for the flood;
WHEREAS, there have been reports that the main drains of the flood control system are clogged because of the dumping of garbage in them notably plastic materials and other non-biodegradable materials which do not deteriorate, rot or decompose even under prolonged exposure to air, water and other elements;
WHEREAS, there have been reports that the recent floods indicate that almost all local drainage systems are not properly maintained.
WHEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, do hereby direct: casia
1) The Secretary of Public Information to lend his full assistance and facilities for the widest dissemination of information concerning the flood control systems in Metro Manila and Central Luzon, so as to avoid in the future similar critical, if not fatal, misinformation;
2) The Secretary of National Defense to direct the various police agencies to apprehend those who impair or obstruct the various constructions relative to the flood control system.
3) The Secretary of Local Government and Community Development to involve the vast network of barangays and coordinate their efforts in the maintenance and protection of said flood control system, especially in the proper disposal of garbage.
DONE in the City of Manila, this 29th day of May, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Six. cdt