The project, Community-Based Flood Mitigation Management Program or CBFMMP for Bulacan was actually carried out from November 2005 to February 2006 with the purpose of implementing an early warning monitoring system for the province in terms of its flood disaster mitigation activities. However, planning and conditioning of the planned program for the province started out as early as late quarter of 2004. It was an off-shoot of the flood events that affected the Pampanga River Basin as a result of Tropical disturbances “Marce”, “Winnie” and “Yoyong”, in August, November and December 2004, respectively, in which a large part of the province was inundated. The project was mainly funded by the Provincial Government of Bulacan through its Provincial Disaster Coordinating Office headed by its Executive Officer, Mr. Rodolfo J. Santos. Technical aspects of the program, particularly determination of location of monitoring sites, river assessment levels, methods of observation, and other related activities were carried out by personnel of the Pampanga River Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (PRFFWC) of the Flood Forecasting Branch of PAGASA.

The nature of the program was to have a non-structural, community-based, holistic approach to flood disaster mitigation aspects. Practically, the program encompasses hydrological monitoring, information exchange and flood warning, and the disaster preparedness and response activities as applied to a certain community or to the sub-basin concerned. Deviant and localized flood events have also been considered in the program. It was designed and carried out with one main purpose in mind – …“a flood disaster-resilient and disaster-prepared People of the Province of Bulacan”.

The program was made possible through the contributory efforts of the following government agencies, primarily the Provincial Government of Bulacan headed by the Honorable Governor Josefina Mendoza-de la Cruz, the Provincial Administrator’s Office, Provincial Disaster Coordinating Office, the Liga ng mga Barangay of Bulacan Province headed by its president Joselito “Jonjon” Mendoza, the OCD-RDCC Region 3, the PRFFWC of FFB, PAGASA, and other local government agencies of the province of Bulacan.

It is through this program that the true essence of flood disaster mitigation was realized, and that is, “not only to keep the floodwaters away from the people but also to keep the people away from the floodwaters”.