Department of Public Works and Highways

Japan International Cooperation Agency

Flood Control and Sabo Engineering Center

FCSEC Newsletter Volume 2, December 2007

Revetment Evacuation Center

Slit Dam Hydraulic Laboratory

DPWH towards integrated flood mitigation

Flood control structures and sabo engineering works have been providing relief and safety
for vulnerable communities, albeit at a certain level only, depending on the magnitude as de-
signed return period, I.e., 5-10 yr, 30-yr. flood etc. Increasing the safety level would require
enormous investment. Piecemeal project implementation will need to be replaced by a com-
prehensive and integrated flood mitigation approach on a basin wide basis. The development
of river basin flood control master plans becomes imperative. FCSEC and Planning Service,
in coordination with the regional and district engineering offices are now collating data and
information to establish a database system that will support the development of flood control
master plans.
Editorial Staff In this issue

Resito V. David, MNSA

1. Featuring Page
Editor-In-Chief
a. Laoag River Basin Flood Control 3
Dolores M. Hipolito and Sabo Project
Managing Editor b. FCSEC Pilot Project: Kinanliman River 4
c. Revetment for Bank Erosion 5

Galileo V. Fortaleza 2. Conference/Seminar Report

Michael T. Alpasan a. Hydraulic Experiment 6
Jerry A. Fano b. 9th River Symposium 2006 7
Associate Editors c. 3rd Asia Pacific Hydrology Water 8
Resources Conference
d. East and Southeast Asia Regional 9
Contributors: Seminar on Flood Hazard Mapping
Dolores M. Hipolito
Alejandro A. Sosa 3. Introducing Personalities in the Sector
a. Director Philip Meñez 10
Glenn V. Reyes
b. Takeo Mitsunaga 11
Jesse C. Felizardo
Michael T. Alpasan 4. Community Based Disaster Mitigation: Camiguin 12
Jerry A. Fano
Grecile Christopher R. Damo 5. 2006 Mayon Debris Flow: The Destructive 13
Path of Typhoon Reming
Harold N. Uyap
Takeo Mitsunaga 6. Bits of Knowledge on Sabo 14
Yoshio Tokunaga
7. River Administration in Japan 15
Layout Artist:
Adolfo Mantaring Rey

Editorial
Thank you for your interest in reading the 1st issue of our newsletter, and of course; on hearing some
feedback comments and appreciation.

In this 2nd issue, and in order to keep you abreast of our activities, we continue featuring some signifi-
cant highlights, such as the on-going two (2) flood control projects for the Laoag and Kinanliman Riv-
ers, the former being a loan project while the latter is under the JICA-assisted technical cooperation
project being implemented by this office.

As usual, conference/seminar reports of DPWH-FCSEC staff form part of this issue to share their ex-
periences gained. Also, personalities in the flood control sector, and other informative events and
trends in flood mitigation are presented.

We do hope that you get interested in reading this 2nd issue and we will appreciate some of your
feedbacks to make this newsletter more informative and relevant to the call of the times in addressing
water-related disasters.

2
Featuring…
Laoag River Basin Flood Control and Sabo Project
By: Dolores M. Hipolito, PM II (FCSEC), Alejandro A. Sosa, PM II (MFCP II),
and Glenn V. Reyes. Engr. III (1st Ilocos Norte DEO)

Laoag City’s potential as a trading center for foreign trade from the North, being strategically located
close to Taiwan, Japan and China, may soon be realized with the completion of the ongoing Laoag
River Basin Flood Control and Sabo Project. Economic development and the rise of the Ilocos region
as an industrial base will be accelerated with the mitigation of flood and sediment deposition dam-
ages periodically experienced.

The project was realized in 2000 with the signing of the

Minutes of discussion between the Government of the Phil-
ippines and Japan. The priority projects were identified from
the Study on Sabo and Flood Control in the Laoag River
Basin conducted with the assistance of the Japan Interna-
tional Cooperation Agency in 1996-1997.

Laoag River Basin is located in the province of Ilocos Norte

in Region I and has a drainage area of 1,332 sq. km. cover-
ing wholly or partially the city of Laoag and the municiap-
lities of Banao, Carasi, Dingras, Marcos, Nueva Era, Piddig,
San Nicolas, Sarrat, Solsona and Vintar.

The flooding problem in the basin area is aggravated by ex-

cessive sediment deposition over the river flood plain and
alluvial fans such that the project includes not only the pro-
vision of earth dikes, flood walls, spur dikes, sliceways,
groundsill, but also sabo dams.

To date, the five (5) sabo dams prioritized under the Project have been completed (Cura, Madongan,
Papa, Labugaon and Solsona Sabo Dams). Other structures proposed to mitigate a 25-year return
period flood that have been completed are the 83.2 km. earth dikes, 1043 units of spur dikes and 4
units of groundsills. The remaining works are envisioned to be completed in 2009, under the supervi-
sion of the PMO-Major Flood Control and Drainage Project II Office. It is the first time that sabo
dams with sediment storage capacity of 4.7 million m3 are constructed in the country. It will be quite
interesting to see in the coming years how these dams and other infrastructures under the project
cope with the challenges in flood mitigation in the region.

3
Featuring...
Flood Control Pilot Project for Kinanliman River Basin
By: Gil I. Iturralde, Engineer V, (FCSEC)
Introduction

One of the main activities under the Project for Strengthening the Flood Management Function
(SFMF) of DPWH is the implementation of Pilot Project. The pilot project is being implemented to
test the applicability of the technical standards, guidelines and manuals FCSEC has developed.
Based on the following criteria and viewpoints: (a) Accessibility, (b) Technical, (c) Catchment area
(d) Social, and (e) Peace and order, as concerns of JICA experts. the Kinanliman River was selected
as a pilot project site for flood control.

Pilot Project Background

The Kinanliman River with a catchment area of about 10.0 km2 is located in Real, Quezon Province
in Region IV-A. The river originates from Mount Binangonan with elevation of about 1,034 meters
and flows down the mountainous area toward east. After flowing through the mountainous area, it
immediately enters the Lamon Bay of the Philippines Sea at the southern part of Real town.

Almost all of the river basin is covered by the forest area, and the habitable area in the basin is lim-
ited to the area around the river mouth. The habitable area of the basin suffers from flood and sedi-
ment related damages caused by typhoon every year. Among those typhoons, the typhoon Winnie/
Yoyong in November 27, 2004 gave the largest damage over the habitable area. During the ty-
phoon, flash flood associated with debris flow devastated the houses along the river, and the bridge
along the national road was clogged with drift woods/cut-off logs that triggered its collapse. Re-
ported damages by the LGU include 58 and 21 persons dead and injured, respectively; and 443
damaged houses. Moreover, riverbed aggradation of about 2 meters was observed.
After the flood, urgent recovery works were done through the joint effort of the 1st Quezon DEO,
DPWH and the Local Government. However, the river course has drastically changed towards the
town proper and more than 500 families are now in danger of flood. In order to mitigate the above
flood damage, flood control works are urgently necessary. In this context, Kinanliman River was se-
lected as site of one pilot project under the Project SFMF of DPWH.

Master Plan (Conceptual Plan Level)

of Project Works:

After review of structural countermea-

sures, with due consideration of the so-
cial and economic conditions, diking sys-
tem with revetment are proposed in the
master plan. Such conceptual plan re-
quires the implementation of non-
structural measures. e.g., control of land
use, resettlement, etc.

Project Implementation Structure and Location Map Catchment Area

Schedule

The pilot project will be imple-

mented in coordination with the
RO/DEO (where the project site is
located) starting from the planning/
design, construction, and mainte-
nance stages, in order to complete
the cycle of enhancement.

Implementation of works com- Debris Flow Area Downstream Area

menced in 2006 and construction
is expected to be completed by mid 2008.

4
Featuring...

REVETMENT
By: Michael T. Alpasan, Engineer IV, FCSEC

Collapses of riverbanks are commonly seen in various parts of the country due to its prevailing to-
pographic, geologic and meteorological condition. Let us take the Cagayan River (the longest river
in the country) as an example, its meandering characteristic results to scouring of riverbanks in nu-
merous sections of the river especially during flood events wherein such sections are subjected to
direct attack of the flood flow. Other factors that contribute to scouring in rivers are a) channel exca-
vation or dredging, b) river structures and c) sand bars in the riverbed.

In response to the above problem, the DPWH and local government units respond through the im-
plementation of mitigation measures for the protection of riverbanks wherein lives and properties are
located. Revetment projects are mostly implemented to directly protect the affected areas. Usually
Shoulder Beam
seen in urban communities are the con-
(Head Wall) crete, reinforced concrete, grouted rip-rap
and stone masonry types. A typical revet-
Slope Covering ment structure is illustrated in the figure.
Field investigations and analyses under-
Filter Cloth
taken by the Flood Control and Sabo Engi-
neering Center (FCSEC) revealed that ma-
Lean Concrete
Foot Protection jority of revetment damages are caused by
Backfill Materials
scouring of the toe/foot portion resulting to
its collapse. Other observed causes of
Foundation
damages are the vulnerability of the slope
covering work and the structure’s end por-
tions. Thus, emphasis is given in this arti-
cle in providing essential information to be
used by planning and design engineers in
Typical Revetment Section addressing the above problems.

Preventing damages due to scouring of the toe portion may be addressed by the adequate provision
of foundation work and foot protection work. In principle, the top of foundation work shall be
placed deeper than one (1) meter from the deepest riverbed. Although the foundation work may be
sufficient by design, it will be better to provide foot protection work to prevent the lowering of the riv-
erbed immediately in front of the revetment. The most economical type of foot protection is the rip-
rap-type (loose boulder). With regards the planning and design of slope covering slope covering
works which directly protects the riverbank, due consideration should be given to the velocity of
flood flow. Riverbanks which are exposed to flood flows with less than two (2) m/s velocity may not
require a revetment but only simple sodding works.In addition, the slope shall be gentle as much as
possible (2:1 : horizontal : vertical) and a berm with a minimum width of one (1) meter shall be pro-
vided for heights greater than 5 meters. Weep holes
should be provided in the revetment using 50-70 mm di-
ameter PVC drainpipes, staggerdly placed in the hori-
zontal direction and spaced 2 meters center to center
Recognizing the limited budget for flood control leading
to piecemeal projects, it is important that completed por-
tions of revetment projects be protected from damage,
especially the end portions. Thus, end protection
works as simple as placing boulders must be imple-
mented while awaiting for funds for the implementation of
the succeeding section. For a more detailed planning
and design of revetment, refer to Chapter 5, Manual on
Design of Flood Control Structures prepared under the
Project for the Enhancement of Capabilities in Flood
Concrete–type revetment in Ormoc City Control and Sabo Engineering of the DPWH.

5
Conference/Seminar Report...
Hydraulic Experiment
September 11-December 08, 2007
Tsukuba, Japan
By: Harold N. Uyap, Engineer III, FCSEC

The Government of Japan thru Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), gave the author the
opportunity to attend individual short-term training course for hydraulic experiment in Japan under
the counterpart training program. The hydraulic experiment training was undertaken in Pacific Con-
sultant Company Ltd. Hydraulic Laboratory in Tsukuba, Japan. Under the supervision of the labora-
tory’s Director and engineers, several experiments were conducted, such as the basic hydraulic ex-
periment using the miniature hydraulic flume. This is to simulate the flow condition in an open chan-
nel and study several hydraulic phenomena that are difficult to observe in the actual rivers. Prior to
this activity proper calibration and setting of measuring instruments were performed to attain good
and reliable results.

Hydraulic River Modeling for Shonai, Kariyata and Watarase rivers were also conducted. These riv-
ers were scaled down from their original condition, considering the important dimensionless parame-
ters and similarity of flow condition and the limitation of experiment facilities. Using this physical hy-
draulic modeling is one of the several methods in solving complicated hydraulic phenomena. It can
directly review countermeasure work and the results can be easily obtained.

Aside from hydraulic laboratory experiments, several fascinating flood control structures and facilities
were visited during the study tour. The author observed Sabo dam works and flood control construc-
tion and appreciated the importance of the structures in protecting the communities.

The acquired knowledge and skills during the course training are now being applied in the research
and development activities of the Flood Control and Sabo Engineering Center (FCSEC), particularly
in the conduct of hydraulic laboratory experiments, as well as in the training courses for DPWH field
engineers.

Mt. Sakurajima, One of the Sites Visited During Study Tour The Hydraulic River Model Experiment

From page 14… Bits of Knowledge in Sabo

These phenomena are continuing. There may be slope failure that looks like landslide. And also
there may be landslide that looks like debris flow. And sometimes it is very difficult to decide which
category those disasters have to be categorized. But I have an impression that in the Philippines,
people are used to using the word ‘flash flood’ even if it might be ‘debris flow’ or ‘inundation’’. One of
the typical causes for ‘flash flood’ is collapse of natural dams. But when debris flow goes down the
slopes, it has front part and river discharge will increase very sharply. So if discharge volume in-
crease sharply, we can not say it is ‘flash flood’ only from it. We should distinguish between ‘flash
flood’ and ‘debris flow’. Needless to say sometimes countermeasures for ‘inundation’ , ’flash flood’ ,
and ‘debris flow’ will be different. So we have to use the word correctly.

The JICA study team on risk management for sediment-related disaster on selected national high-
ways in t the Philippines classified the disasters as follows: Soil Slope Collapse; Rock Slope Col-
lapse; Landslide; Road Slip; Debris Flow; River Erosion. I think there is a classification of the Philip-
pines which is suitable to the climatic and geological characteristics.

6
Conference/Seminar Report...
9th River Symposium
September 4-7, 2006, Brisbane, Australia
By: Jesse C. Felizardo, Engineer IV, FCSEC

Attending the 9th River Symposium on 4-7 September 2006 in Brisbane, Australia was a big privilege
for me. It gave me exposure to different trends in river technology and innovations in response to cli-
mate change and changing environment.

The conference, with the theme “Managing Rivers with Cli-

mate Change and Expanding Populations’’, was attended by
more than 500 delegates from different countries. In a topic
session, I presented a paper on Reducing Disaster in the
Densely Populated Waterway and Shoreline in Metro Manila.
The subject dealt with the necessity for a warning and
evacuation system in times of storm surge due to wind storm
especially in the Mangahan Floodway and the shorelines of
Laguna Lake, where there are countless residents.

The main feature of the conference was the keynote address

of Mr. David Grey, Senior Water Advisor for the World Bank.
He discussed the links between the sophistication of a coun-
try’s water management and its economic health. He also
stressed responsible growth requires valuing change with wa-
ter security and that entails both environmental sustainability
and social development.

Different case studies in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, North

and South America were presented in the plenary sessions.
A wide variety of topics were discussed such as indigenous river management, restoring rivers after
disasters, community involvement, agricultural practices, environmental flows for rivers, water re-
forms, river modelling, rivers and human health, planning for climate change in river and catchment
management, and more.

Each year, the symposium highlights the prestigious Thiess International Riverprize equivalent to
Aus$225,000. The prize is regarded as the “Nobel Prize” for saving rivers, recognizing outstanding
achievements in river conservation and management. The Sha River of China won the 9th RiverSym-
posium Theiss International Riverprize. In 1999, it was declared virtually dead and a public hazard
due to rapid population growth and industrial development resulting to the combined impacts of city
waste, raw sewage, deforestation, coal silt and rural garbage. The restoration project has improved
water quality, controlled flooding, cleaned up pollution, landscaped parks, constructed drainage sys-
tems, and enhanced public use and understanding of the catchment.

Concerted efforts from different sec-

tors of society involving community
participations, government agencies,
civic organizations, contributed to the
success in river revival.

The conference served as venue to

get acquainted with the different
trends, technologies and practices in
river management

7
Conference/Seminar Report...
3rd Asia Pacific Hydrology Water Resources Conference
October 16-18, 2006, Bangkok, Thailand
By : Jerry A. Fano, Engineer III, FCSEC

The National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) and the Association of Researchers in collabo-
ration with the Asia Pacific Association of Hydrology and Water Resources (APHW) jointly organ-
ized the 3rd APHW Conference at the Grand Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand from October 16-18, 2006.
The APHW conference is held bi-annually to raise water problems to cases within the framework
relevant to the geography and climate of the Asia Pacific Region and offer possible solutions or ap-
proaches.

The 3rd APHW Conference Theme entitled: “Wise Water Resources Management Towards Sus-
tainable Growth and Poverty Reduction” features the regional characteristics and water problems,
lessons from the past, sound utilization of water resources, climate change, variation and disas-
ters, and wise water resources management.

Over 40 thematic sessions were held, and al-

most 250 participants attended, representing
governments, academe, hydraulic research
agencies, intergovernmental organizations,
non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and
business and industry.

The author, an Engineer III of the DPWH

PMO-Flood Control and Sabo Engineering
Center was invited to the Conference under
the sponsorship of the NRCT and the APHW
and presented the following topics:

a) “Strategy for Flood Disaster Mitigation in

the Philippines” (Oral Presentation)
Sub-Theme 4 : Disaster Risk Management
UNESCO-IHP Session The author presented the topic
‘Strategy for Flood Disaster Mitigation in the Philippines’ in
b) “The Quezon, Philippines 2004 Debris
the 3rd APHW Conference Bangkok, Thailand.
Flows” (Poster Presentation)
Sub-Theme 5 : Effects of Floods, Droughts,
Debris Flows and Landslides

c) “Technical Cooperation Project: Enhancement of Capabilities of Philippine Engineers Towards

Effective Flood Management” (Oral Presentation)
Sub-Theme 6 : Other Topics

Engr. Fano’s experience in attending the conference has exposed him to the new trends and
strategies in risk management, including application of non structural measures that involve com-
munities’ preparedness to live and deal with risks, societies’ risk perception issues and considera-
tion of emerging threats.

Flood for thought...

United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction defines:
Hazard as a potential damaging physical event, phenomenon as human activity that may cause the
loss of life or injury, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation.

Vulnerability as the conditions determined by physical, social, economic, and environmental factors
of processes, which increase the susceptibility of a community to the impact of hazards.

8
Conference/Seminar Report...
EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA REGIONAL SEMINAR ON
FLOOD HAZARD MAPPING (FHM)
February 07 to 09, 2007, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
By: Grecile Christopher R. Damo, Engineer III, FCSEC

The International Center for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM) under the auspices of
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) together with the Public
Works Research Institute (PWRI) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in collabora-
tion with the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) of Malaysia organized the 1st East & South-
east Asia Regional Seminar on Flood Hazard Mapping at the Renaissance Hotel, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia from 7th to 9th of February 2007. The seminar will be held annually to strengthen the capa-
bility of the Asian nations in the non-structural measures in dealing with the flood problems and to
build-up the network with other Asian countries.

In 2005, the 1st training on Flood Hazard Mapping was conducted and it was preceded by several
batches and in order to monitor the activities and the current development of each participating
Asian countries in solving the flood problems of Asian nations using the non-structural measures
(flood hazard map, early warning and evacuation), the 1st Regional Seminar was organized. The
main objective of the seminar was to provide a platform and sharing of knowledge and experience
through interactive participation.

The seminar concentrated on the issues of flood hazard mapping and its field application as a tool
for disaster preparedness and mitigation. Aside from the 15 participants (ex-trainees) coming from
the Philippines, Cambodia, Lao, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia local and inter-
national agencies, institutions and organizations, coming from both government and private sector
also attended the seminar. Engineer Grecile Christopher R. Damo, DPWH-PMO-FCSEC along with
2 participants from Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
(PAGASA) represented the Philippines having attended the training.

During the course of the seminar, each participant shared their experiences, projects and proposals
to the partakers, sharing theoretical and practical knowledge and achieving hands-on experience
back in their own countries. The presentations covered a variety aspects such as case study, work
progress, current issues, future challenges etc. In addition, invited lecturers from selected interna-
tional organizations gave insights on latest technology and methodology for the development of flood
hazard map. Engineer Damo presented the “Community Based-Flood Hazard Map of Camiguin Is-
land” together with a poster of the structural and non-structural measure activities of the Philippines,
while the representative from PAGASA presented the Eastern Board Multi Hazard Mapping and the
community based warning and evacuation project of PAGASA.

One of the activities during the course was a field visit and town watching in one of the flood affected
areas in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Taman Tun Dr. Ismail Jaya, to be observe the effectiveness of
application of both non-structural (flood hazard map, warning and evacuation) and structural meas-
ures in a flood plain area.

Town watching at Taman Tun Dr. Ismail Jaya, the participants took
pictures of the facilities and visited the affected areas. Which were
Explaining the poster prepared during the seminar. severely affected by the recent flooding. The group was welcomed
and led by the town officials and administrators during the town

9
Introducing...
Philip F. Meñez
Project Director, PMO-Major Flood Control Project Cluster II
By: Michael T. Alpasan, Engineer IV, FCSEC

At the forefront of flood control project implementation is Mr. PHILIP F. MEÑEZ, CESO III, Project
Director of the PMO-Major Flood Control and Drainage Projects, Cluster II. He is one of the ener-
getic project directors in DPWH Flood Control Project outside Metro Manila.

He started his government career in 1973 as a

Civil Engineering Aide in the Flood Control
and Drainage Division of the then Bureau of
Public Works. It was in 1982 when he started
his work at the PMO-Major Flood Control Pro-
ject. It was during his tour of duty in Pam-
panga that then DPWH Secretary Gregorio R.
Vigilar saw the high proficiency and reliability
of Engr. Menez in handling infrastructure pro-
jects. He was designated by Secretary Vigilar
as a member of the Mt. Pinatubo Task Force
after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991.

Recently, he was given a plaque of recognition

by no less than the Governor of Ilocos Norte
for the timely completion of the Laoag River
Sabo and Flood Control Project, as well as the
Rehabilitation/Enhancement of Ormoc Flood Mitigation Structures during the unveiling and turnover
ceremony, October 20, 2007 . in the project implementation, he recognizes two (2) main issues that
need to be addressed, i.e.: a) timely acquisition of right-of-way (ROW) and b) the speculative atti-
tude of inhabitants towards infrastructure projects. He feels that the first priority should be given to all
major river basins and then the principal rivers. With the 2nd and 3rd largest rivers in the country, pro-
jects for Mindanao should be pipelined in the near future.

Due to the increasing demand to cope with floods and other water-induced disasters, he recom-
mends the refocusing of training activities in DPWH to give more focus in flood control and sabo
(erosion and sediment movement control) and the establishment of an internal mechanism to secure
the specialization in the above fields, e.g., accreditation of river/sabo engineers comparable with that
for the project engineers/inspectors and material engineers. He also recommends that the required
budget to ensure effective countermeasures must be provided by the national government and con-
cerned local government units.

The flood control sector is in good hands with a dynamic team, under Dir. Menez who ably provides
their expertise and clear direction in support of the Department’s goal in mitigating floods and othe-
water induced disasters through the conduct of studies and implementation of appropriate infrastruc-
tures

Flood for thought...

“The kinds of things you see coming, you know they’re going to happen, and yet we
at times seem unwilling or unable to act”
Dean David T. Ellwood
Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

10
Introducing...
MITSUNAGA, Takeo
JICA Sabo Expert, Project SFMF
By: Michael T. Alpasan, Engineer IV, FCSEC

He graduated from Kyoto Univ. on March 1991 with a degree in Agriculture and entered the Ministry
of Construction (now the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation (MLIT). He has worked
as a national public officer for about 17 years. During those years,
he worked for 4 construction offices under MLIT and also worked
for the Niigata Prefecture (Local Government Unit) for 2 years,
Development Construction Department, Okinawa General Bureau,
Cabinet Office for 1 and half years and Grant Aid Division, Eco-
nomic Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 2 and
half years. After working at the Land Conservation Division, Sabo
Department, River Bureau, MLIT as Deputy Director, he was dis-
patched to the Project Management Office Flood Control and
Sabo Engineering Center, Department of Public Works Philippines
(PMO-FCSEC) as a JICA Sabo Expert on March 2006.

After less than 2 years of his assignment in the Philippines, he has the following viewpoints/
impressions on flood control in the country.
1. DPWH and other agencies should increase prioritization in flood control, not only the imple-
mentation of structural measures but also non-structural measures such as reforestation and
land use regulation so that they can make a comprehensive flood control plan. DPWH should
have closer relationship and information sharing with DENR, PAGASA, LGUs and other re-
lated agencies.
2. When DPWH carryout their flood control project, they should think about a comprehensive
plan for the watershed not only focusing on a particular problem site. For example, if they
carryout the rehabilitation project they should not only rehabilitate the damage portion but also
survey the site and make sure of the cause of the damage. If sand bar formation is present at
the site and it makes the river shift towards the riverbank, the project for removal of the sand
bar or reduction of sediment run off could be considered as the project itself.
3. The number of Sabo projects are very few in the Philippines. But the sediment run off is very
big in many rivers in the Philippines. So Sabo works is one of the useful countermeasures in
this country.

He hopes DPWH has Sabo Training under the FCSEC Training program and many DPWH and
LGU staff would be able to formulate a flood control plan considering the upstream (sabo) and
downstream (flood control).

Flood for thought...

Section 32 of the Water Code (PD 1067) and its Amended IRR provides that a permit/authority shall
be secured from the DPWH in the following instances;

a. Construction of dams, bridges and other structures in navigable or floatable waterways

b. Cultivation of river beds, sand bars and tidal flats upon clearance from DENR
c. Construction of private levees, revetments and other flood control and river training works, and
d. Restoration of river courses to farmer feds

11
 Community-Based Disaster Mitigation: Camiguin
By: Dolores M. Hipolito
PM II, FCSEC

The volcanic island of Camiguin, despite its idyllic island setting is home to a variety of natural haz-
ards like volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and typhoons that trigger debris flows and flash floods.
Small localized rainstorm, referred to as “buhawi”, also induces small-scale landslides and debris
flows which mostly flow within the confines of river channels. After experiencing a devastating ty-
phoon in November 2001, structural and non-structural countermeasures were formulated for the
island under a development study grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). In
2004, another JICA-study was conducted to strengthen the disaster prevention abilities of the Cami-
guin disaster units and raise the community people’s awareness on disaster prevention. The con-
struction of the structural measures (sabo
dams and river training works), and the recon-
struction of the Hubangon bridge has been
applied for JICA grant, but has not been
granted yet.

The design and development of the non-

structural measures were based on the find-
ings from a social survey. The communities
and the local government units actually partici-
pated in most activities for the development of
the warning and evacuation system, public
awareness materials, flash flood and debris
flow disaster prevention manual and evacua-
tion plans.

The constant involvement of the community in

assemblies, meetings, training, surveys, work-
shops, evacuation drills resulted to enhanced communities in disaster prevention and the develop-
ment of non-structural measures that is suited with the community’s needs capabilities and re-
sources. The multi-stakeholders participation has ensured people’s awareness, acceptance and mo-
bilization. Roles and responsibilities were identified, delineated and monitored.

After a monitoring and evaluation visit to Camiguin in March 2007, it can be declared that indeed, the
communities are better prepared and equipped now to cope with disasters. This can be gleaned
from the following, among others:

a. Constant communication among river observers and the disaster coordinating councils
b. Conduct of programs for disaster man-
agement, such as seminars, trainings
and procurement of equipment.
c. Continued community dialogues for
people in hazard areas
d. Communication networking among the
members of DCCs, particularly in rainfall
monitoring
e. Awareness of the community on the
hazard maps and evacuation plans.

In 2006, the National Disaster Coordinating

Council conferred the Gawad Kalasag Award to
the province of Camiguin as the best provincial
Disaster Coordinating Council. This award recog-
nizes the capability of the Camiguin PDCC in dis-
aster mitigation.

12
 MAYON 2006 DEBRIS FLOW: The Destructive Path of Typhoon Reming

By : Jerry A. Fano, Engineer III, FCSEC

On November 30, 2006, Super typhoon “Reming” crippled the Bicol Region, especially the prov-
ince of Albay, after pummeling it with strong winds and heavy rains that resulted in debris flows.
One thousand bodies are believed to have been buried in the debris and mud that swept over the
towns of Santo Domingo, Daraga and Guinobatan and Legazpi City. The Philippine Atmospheric,
Geophysical, Astronomical Services and Administration (PAGASA) recorded sustained winds of
190 kilometers per hour (118 mph) with gusts to 225 kph (140 mph) when the storm made land-
fall.
Typhoon Reming generated
466 millimeters of rainfall
for 12-hour record (daily
rainfall) on 30 November
2006, the day widespread
debris flow occurred. It was
40 years ago when similar
amount of rainfall was last
recorded in the Province of
Bicol. Typhoon Reming
moved slowly over Legazpi
and overwhelmed the area
with rainfall intensity of 135
mm/hr (3:00pm hourly rain-
fall data). Generally, debris
flows in Mayon are trig-
gered by intense and pro-
longed rainfall as a result of
the passage of a tropical
cyclone in the vicinity.

Post Disaster Satellite Image Areas affected by flooding

and debris flows in the municipalities surrounding Mayon.
Source : UNOSAT / JICA-FCSEC-Japan Survey Team December 2006

Typhoon Track Typhoon Reming showing high con- PAGASA Hourly Rainfall of Typhoon Reming on 30 November
centration of rainfall in Mt. Mayon, Province of Bicol. 2006 which recorded cumulative rainfall of 466mm (40 year high).
Source : PAGASA Source : PAGASA Legazpi, Albay – Station 444

Continuation... Page 15

13
 Bits of Knowledge on Sabo
By: Takeo Mitsunaga, JICA Sabo Expert
Project SFMF

Types of Sediment-Related Disasters

How was the first article? I hope it aroused your interest to know more about sabo engineering.
This time, I will write about the types of sediment-related disasters that are covered by sabo
works.

There are many ways to define the types of disasters.

But it is very important that every one has a common classification, or every one has the same
image for each word. When we went to the damage site at Antipolo after typhoon Milenio in 2006,
we had heard that ‘There was a landslide.’ But it was an erosion of the road along national high-
way. If we have the same images for the word of ‘landslide’, we will not have misunderstanding.

Debris Flow Landslide

Part of soil, stone and gravel making up a hill- A massive soil on a slope moves along the slip
side and river bed is intermingled with water surface downward the slope under the influ-
from long-continuing or localized torrential rain- ence of ground water and other causes. Most
fall and becomes slushy like porridge and be of the case, it moves at speeds from 0.01 to 10
carried downstream at a dash at speeds from mm/day but sometimes it is very fast. Some-
20 to 40 km/h times it is very big and it can cause serious
damages

Debris flow Landslide

Slope Failure
A slope collapses abruptly due to weakened
self-retainability of the earth under the influence
of rainfall or an earthquake. Because of sudden
collapse of slope, many people fail to escape
from it, if it occurs near a residence area, thus
resulting in a higher rate of fatalities.

Continuation... Page 6 Slope failure

14
 River Administration in Japan
By: Yoshio Tokunaga, JICA Chief Advisor
Project SFMF

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation (MLIT) plans and implements a variety of projects
to protect people from disasters caused by rivers, sediment, storm surge, and other natural phenom-
ena, and to ensure sufficient water resources to support affluent lifestyles and develop attractive wa-
terside environments.

MLIT also drafts laws, manages river administration, issues licenses for water use, and maintains
facilities for the proper management of rivers, sediment control, and coastal protection.

River Administration Classification

Two main objectives have motivated river administration in Japan since early times. One is to con-
trol river flooding and the other is to ensure availability of river water for daily and industrial use.

Recently, conservation and creation of river environments have become increasingly important as-
pects of river administration.

In accordance with the River Law, river administration is done by classifying rivers, breaking them
into sections, and delegating responsibility for the administration of their various subdivisions. River
systems deemed important for the national economy and people's lives are designated as "Class A
river systems" and administrated by the Minister of Construction. The others are designated as
"Class B river systems" and administrated by the prefecture governors.

Class A river systems are further sub-classified as "Trunk rivers" and "Others"; and the "Others" are
administered, except for approval of certain specified water rights,
by the prefecture governors. Continuation… Page 16
From Page 13…. MAYON 2006 DEBRIS FLOW
Typhoon Reming after making landfall over Bicol in November
2006 has brought extreme amount of rainfall that supersatu-
rated the thick volcanic soil and highly weathered and sheared
bedrocks in on the steep slopes of Mayon. This resulted to the
failure of the soil and rock materials that make up the hill slope
of Mayon and consequently driven down by gravity.
Such phenomena caused the mass wasting or down slope
movement of loosened of unconsolidated materials (e.g.,
weathered rock and thick volcanic soils). High concentration of
runoff also added weight to the instability of loose masses of
rocks and soil triggering them it to slide down steep slopes.
This in turn, transformed from slope collapses to debris
flows, considering the fluidized movement of volcanic debris Mechanism of Debris Flow Schematic diagram of
mechanism of debris flow that triggered numerous debris
(boulders, logs, etc) that flowed in relatively rapid velocity flows in Mayon
due to the lower cohesion of higher water content and com-
Source : JICA-FCSEC-Japan Survey Team December
ing from steep 2006
slopes (Elev. >
2,000m) of Mayon. The debris flow have slump blocks at
the head, and the cascading debris mass breaks up into
smaller and smaller parts as it advances towards the foot.
The numerous debris flows that occurred around Mayon
happened in rapid progressive failures, and the whole
mass coming from steep slopes flowed in rapid velocity -
after liquefying due to super saturation - finding its way to
stream channels and gullies. These were observed in
several stream channels like those in Brgys. Maipon and
Busay. Unsuspecting streams suddenly bulked to debris
Debris Flow Extent of debris flow on the munici- consistency and buried communities.
Continuation... Page
palities of Daraga and 16
Guinobatan.

15
From Page 15… River Administration in Japan

Some sections of small tributaries of both class A and class B rivers, where part of the River Law is
applied are set. Administration of the others is done by the mayors of cities, towns, and villages.

Other smaller rivers not mentioned above, to which the River Law is not applied at all, are adminis-
tered by mayors.

The River Law stipulates that any utilization of land and river water within the sections defined by the
River Law must obtain approval from the designated river administrator.

The total length of class A rivers, which include 109 river systems, is approximately 87,150 km; the
length of class B rivers, which include 2,691 river systems, totals approximately 35,720 km; and the
total length of rivers to which the River Law is applied was approximately 132,870 km as of June,
1993.

Table 1: Number of Rivers (June, 1993)

River Rivers Total length Total Catchment’s

systems (Km) area (Sq.Km)
Class A Rivers 109 13,798 87,152.5 239,947
Class B Rivers 2,691 6,931 35,717 107,997

Profile of Related Laws

The objectives of river administration are upgrading of safety of the nation's land against flood disas-
ters, stabilization of the water supply, and improvement of the living environment. River administra-
tion centers on the River Law and is also regulated by the Specified-Multipurpose Dam Law, the
Sabo Law, and the Seacoast Law.
* Sabo means erosion and sediment control in Japan and several country

Organization
The Ministry of Construction was established, and the River Bureau was provided as its internal bu-
reau for managing various matters related to rivers, by the enactment of the Ministry of Construction
Establishment Law on July 1, 1948.

Today, the River Bureau department comprises ten divisions and five sections involved in river plan-
ning, river improvement, dam construction, disaster recovery, sand control measures, and coastal
preservation. The Bureau also maintains eight Regional Construction Bureaus - Tohoku, Kanto, Ho-
kuriku, Chubu, Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu.

Budget
The River Bureau budgets are for carrying out projects related to rivers, dams, sabo, seacoasts,
slope preservation measures, and disaster rehabilitation. Figures for fiscal year 1995 (April, 1995
through March, 1996) total about ¥2,281 billion, including about ¥1,318 billion in prefecture expendi-
tures.

River Bureau projects can be broadly classified as national projects and subsidized projects.

National projects are projects that the MOC itself carries out in sections of Class A rivers that are un-
der the direct control of the Minister of Construction. The major portion of funds for national projects
comes from the national budget, and the remainder comes from local budgets. Subsidized projects
are projects that receive some funding from the national government but are carried out by prefec-
ture governments in sections of Class A or Class B rivers that are under the jurisdiction of the pre-
fecture governors.

16