Pampanga: The Department of Agriculture (DA) has commissioned a PHP150-million study with a Vietnamese university and engineering contractors to determine the viability of developing a waterway through the flood-prone Candaba Swamp in Pampanga to help address recurring flooding. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced that the agency is considering a major infrastructure project that would utilize existing canals in the Candaba Swamp and potentially create a large-scale waterway system.

According to Philippines News Agency, Tiu Laurel mentioned that the waterways are 'wide and deep enough' to accommodate vessels linked to tributaries. He emphasized that these are not the small canals, noting that the canals could potentially stretch up to 100 meters wide and 7 meters deep. The Candaba Swamp is among several flood-prone areas being studied for conversion into large-scale canal systems patterned after Vietnam's Mekong Delta.

Tiu Laurel explained that a canal network covering the roughly 6,000-hectare Candaba Swamp could serve as a massive holding area for excess water during heavy rains. As water is redirected into the canals, portions of the swamp could dry out and potentially become available for cultivation. In addition to its potential to address recurring flooding, the proposed waterway could also provide an alternative logistics network for agricultural production.

The DA stated that farmers could use the canals to transport crops and other agricultural commodities. Tiu Laurel added that the agency is also exploring the possibility of converting other flood-prone landscapes into productive agricultural assets, including the Agusan and Lingasnan marshes and the Lagayan River Basin. The ongoing study for the Candaba Swamp is expected to be completed by year-end and is anticipated to provide a funding roadmap for the proposed infrastructure project.