MANILA: The massive flooding experienced by different areas in the National Capital Region (NCR) due to Typhoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat) highlighted the need to rehabilitate the already outdated drainage system of the metropolis, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Tuesday.
In a Palace press briefing, MMDA chairman Romando Artes said updating Metro Manila’s ‘antiquated’ drainage system is needed to mitigate the effects of climate change and the rising sea level.
‘Iyan po ay nagawa pa noong panahon ng dating Pangulong Marcos, iyong drainage masterplan for Metro Manila so kailangan na po talagang i-update lalung-lalo na sa ngayon na mayroon tayong climate change, mas mataas na iyong tide ng tubig sa ating mga oceans at iyong ulan po na dala ng mga bagyo ay mas malalakas (That was done during the time of the former President Marcos Sr., the drainage masterplan for Metro Manila so it really needs to be updated especially now that we have climate change, the water
level will be higher in our oceans and typhoons are stronger),’ Artes said.
According to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manny Bonoan, around 70 percent of the internal drainage system of Metro Manila is already silted with waste, adding that a holistic approach is also needed to address flooding in the metropolis.
‘So these need to be rehabilitated and upgraded … And, of course, marami pa iyong kuwan (there are more of), iyong(there are) other factors like-this is a social factor, like iyong(there are) mga informal settlers that are staying in the waterways, iyong mga ganoon (factors like those). And these are the most vulnerable that also that need to be addressed,’ Bonoan said.
The proposed 50-year drainage masterplan would be funded by the World Bank, Artes said.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday led a sectoral meeting on preparations for the La Niña phenomenon and ensure the effectiveness of flood mitigation measures after Typhoon Carina and the enhanced “habagat”
battered parts of the country, triggering massive flooding that brought back memories of Tropical Storm Ondoy in 2009.
Garbage problem
Indiscriminate garbage disposal also worsened the flooding in Metro Manila, particularly in low-lying areas and those near waterways, Bonoan noted.
The DPWH chief said addressing the problem of waste disposal would be a big help in mitigating floods in the capital region.
“I think ma-address lang muna kaagad iyong pagtatapon ng basura (I think we need to address immediately the problem of waste disposal) so that it will not clog the available waterways now,” Bonoan said.
“I think it would help a lot sa tingin ko (I think) at this point in time ‘no kasi (because) I can assure you that [the] engineering interventions or structures that we have actually already constructed along the Pasig-Marikina River would be enough to safeguard actually iyong hindi mag-overflow ang Pasig River ( for Pasig River not to overflow) towards the low-lying areas in Metro Manila,” he added.
5K
more flood control projects
Bonoan also bared that over 5,000 flood control projects are set to be implemented across the country in the coming years.
These are on top of the 5,521 flood control projects completed between July 2022 and May 2024 that the President reported in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) last week.
Bonoan added that the DPWH is also actively collaborating with concerned agencies to ensure that local drainage systems are aligned and integrated with national strategies, which aim to mitigate future flood risks effectively.
LGUs told: Review solid waste ordinances
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) urged local chief executives to review ordinances on waste management and impose tougher penalties on violators.
DILG-National Capital Region assistant regional director Analyn Baltazar-Cortez also cited the need for local government units (LGUs) to strictly enforce Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
“Actually, we are l
ooking into whether there were apprehensions made by LGUs or enforcement of these measures. But we also have to revisit these ordinances, are the penalties still relevant or these are obsolete,” she said at the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum.
The DILG official also hoped that LGUs would deputize more enforcers on the ground to ensure the strict enforcement of ordinances on solid waste management.
The MMDA earlier cleared over 387 tons of garbage from Manila Bay and other areas in the NCR in the aftermath of massive flooding due to bad weather.
The MMDA’s Environmental Management Division – Metro Parkways Clearing Group, responsible for maintaining cleanliness in NCR, worked alongside local government units and collected a total of 1,099 cubic meters or 90 truckloads of garbage during their five-day cleanup operations which ran from July 24 to 28.
Source: Philippines News Agency
