The Department of Public Works and Highways is proposing a P1.5-billion drainage rehabilitation project for the entire stretch of Taft Avenue as the government intensifies efforts to address recurring flooding in Metro Manila’s key transport corridors.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the project is targeted for implementation next year following repeated flooding incidents along one of the capital’s busiest roads.
The proposed rehabilitation will cover the full length of Taft Avenue and aims to improve drainage capacity in an area where heavy rains have repeatedly caused disruptions to commuters, businesses, and nearby communities.
For the immediate term, the DPWH has already completed drainage improvements along a portion of Taft Avenue, particularly near Santa Isabel College and Padre Faura Street.
Dizon said the agency is also moving ahead with drainage upgrades in España Boulevard, where four cross-drain projects are scheduled to begin between September and October this year. The projects will be funded through DPWH savings, addressing a long-standing drainage requirement in the area.
The agency is also preparing a separate proposal for additional España Boulevard drainage improvements in 2027.
The projects form part of a broader government push to strengthen flood resilience in flood-prone areas of Metro Manila, where aging drainage systems have struggled to keep pace with rapid urban development and increasingly intense rainfall.
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said flooding across the capital has improved despite recent heavy rains, with several roads that previously became impassable now experiencing only shallow, gutter-level flooding and faster water runoff.
MMDA Chairman Romando Artes credited the improvement to Oplan Kontra Baha, which includes the clearing and deepening of waterways, deployment of flood response teams, and mobilization of about 10,000 DOLE TUPAD workers to remove garbage and unclog drainage systems.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. welcomed the progress but directed agencies to further strengthen flood-control efforts.
Artes said the government’s waterway clearing program remains unfinished, with less than half of the planned work completed so far.
The proposed Taft Avenue project underscores a larger challenge facing Metro Manila. Beyond emergency responses, authorities are now looking to rebuild drainage infrastructure to better handle recurring floods that disrupt economic activity and daily life in the capital.
