１１月上旬にフィリピンに甚大な被害をもたらした大型台風22号ユリシーズ。
台風による災害の余波は大きく、現在も復興のためコロナ禍で出来得る限りの復興支援が行われているが公共事業長官のMark Villar氏が多目的ダム建設計画について議論しているという。
計画中のダムの建設には莫大の資金が必要となるが長官は「投資」だと言い、すぐにでも実行すべき計画だと語った。ダムが建設されることになれば周辺地域住民の安全確保されることはもちろんだが、国家プロジェクトによる新たな雇用が多く生まれることは間違いないだろう。
パンデミックによって職を失った人や生活が困難になったしまった現地人の雇用創出にも繋がる「マリキナダム」建設計画には今後も注目していきたいところだ。

以下、CNN Philippinesより抜粋

Mark Villar stresses need to invest in Marikina Dam

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 2) — It’s worth spending billions of pesos for the proposed Marikina Dam to prevent devastating floods when typhoons strike, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said.

In an interview on CNN Philippines’ “Front and Center,” Villar cited the plan to build a multi-purpose dam in the upstream of the Marikina-Montalban River Basin as one of the long-term flood control projects of the government.

“That really attacks the source of the issue, of the problem, which is the water coming down from the mountains. When it rains, all of a sudden, we have a flood of water coming into Marikina River,” Villar said.

Villar, who also heads the recently formed task force on typhoon rehabilitation, said the dam would enable communities to withstand strong typhoons, even those that could cause a rare “100-year flood” — a massive flood that only has a 1% chance of taking place each year.

“So of course, if you want to do this, it costs a lot of money. But then again, ito investment naman ito (this is an investment),” Villar added.

In a Senate hearing last week, Public Works Undersecretary Emil Sadain said the Marikina Dam can be constructed within five years with an estimated cost of ₱38 billion.