President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to seek assistance from the government of Japan to address the damage to infrastructure from last month's floods in Misamis Occidental.

In a press statement from the Presidential Communication Office (PCO), it said Marcos made his suggestion during the situation briefing in Ozamiz City on Wednesday.

"President Marcos suggested asking for the assistance of Japan, which he said has vast experience and expertise in dealing with flooding," it said.

The Japanese government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funded several flood control projects in the Philippines including the Imus and Bacoor retarding basin in Cavite, the Pasig Marikina river channel improvement project and the flood risk management project for Cagayan de Oro River.

Marcos ordered the DPWH to determine the cause of the floods in Misamis Occidental province and work with concerned agencies to carry out a solution.

During the briefing with Marcos, the local officials of Misamis Occidental raised the idea of constructing an infrastructure that will divert water running through a river to lessen the flooding in Clarin town.

Local officials said weeks of heavy downpour in December damaged bridges and other infrastructure, including the flood control system constructed by the government.

The flooding incident has so far affected 16,000 families being served inside the evacuation centers while a total of 76 infrastructure, amounting to P132.14 million were damaged, including two bridges in Oroquieta City.

A total of 5,594.75 hectares or P154.38 million worth of damage to agriculture has also been recorded in Northern Mindanao. Robina Asido/DMS