GENERAL SANTOS CITY (May 14) — The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) is pushing a unified master plan for the Mindanao River Basin, warning that fragmented flood-control projects are leaving communities exposed to recurring floods, damaged farms, and worsening environmental risks.
MinDA is also urging national agencies, local governments, and stakeholders to revive the Mindanao River Basin Management Council (MRBMC), which has not met regularly in recent years but is mandated to coordinate river systems that cut across multiple provinces and regions in Mindanao.
The renewed push was taken up during an MRBMC meeting on May 12 at the Greenleaf Hotel in General Santos City — the council’s first convening in years.
‘We are not just managing a river’
MinDA Chair Secretary Leo Tereso Magno said the initiative is about protecting lives and livelihoods, not just managing waterways.
“We are not just managing a river. We are protecting livelihoods, keeping communities safe, and building the kind of stability that Mindanao truly needs to move forward,” Magno said.
He called for stronger coordination among agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, along with local governments and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Flood risks push urgency
The proposed Integrated Mindanao River Basin Master Plan aims to merge flood control, watershed rehabilitation, irrigation systems, and environmental protection into a single coordinated framework.
MinDA warned that current siloed efforts weaken long-term impact — especially when upstream deforestation continues while downstream flood structures are built in isolation.
“Building flood walls in one place while forests upstream continue to be cut down will not solve the problem,” Magno said.
The Mindanao River Basin spans major tributaries including Pulangi, Allah, Kabacan, and Buluan rivers, which sustain agriculture, fisheries, and communities across large parts of the island.
Other key systems such as the Agusan River Basin, Davao River Basin, and Cagayan de Oro River Basin also face recurring flood and environmental pressures.
Unified action sought
MinDA proposed a shared steering committee to align engineering plans, feasibility studies, and funding priorities under one integrated master plan.
The agency also stressed the importance of including BARMM in governance structures, citing its role in peace-building and regional development.
“Taking care of this river is also taking care of the people and taking care of the peace that we have worked so hard to build,” Magno said.
Officials said the plan is expected to strengthen disaster preparedness, protect agricultural communities, and support long-term economic growth across Mindanao by treating river systems as a single interconnected ecosystem rather than isolated projects.
