Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu has asked the budget department for an additional P4.65 billion to buy new dredging equipment to be used in removing sandbars from the Bicol and Cagayan River basins. Some P1.45 billion will support operations in the Bicol River basin and P3.2 billion will fund activities in the Cagayan River basin. In a statement Thursday, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Mr. Cimatu is pushing for the early removal of sandbars from the Bicol River between 2023 and 2025, and from the Cagayan River between 2025 and 2028.

Yang, A. Y. (2021, August 27). DENR requests additional funds for river dredging. BusinessWorld, p. S1/2.