The Department of Agriculture (DA) is evaluating a major infrastructure strategy to transform Pampanga’s flood-prone Candaba Swamp into a dual-purpose irrigation and water transport network modeled after Vietnam’s Mekong Delta.
The proposed concept envisions a canal network spanning roughly 6,000 hectares within the natural basin, which currently absorbs overflow from heavy rainfall.
Under the proposal, excess rainwater would be channeled into dedicated waterways, allowing farmers to cultivate dry sections during low-water seasons while utilizing the new canals to barge agricultural yield directly to regional supply hubs.
To determine the design, total cost, and financing models, the agency commissioned a ₱150-million feasibility study conducted by a Vietnamese university alongside engineering contractors, with a projected completion date by the end of 2026.
The conceptual framework has already been submitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
”The concept is part of a broader DA effort to examine how flood-prone landscapes can be converted into productive agricultural assets,” the DA said.
If successful, the department plans to assess similar engineering interventions for other high-risk flood zones across the country, such as the Lagayan River Basin as well as the Lingasnan and Agusan marshes.