METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairperson Romando Artes yesterday said the agency is taking advantage of the dry season to declog waterways and service its 71 major and minor pumping stations before the rainy season.
“The MMDA is taking advantage of the summer season by doubling down on its flood control efforts and projects. The agency has deployed its personnel in key areas to ensure that these waterways are clean, unclogged, and ready for the rains expected in the upcoming months,” Artes said.
“We implement proactive strategies to enhance our preparedness. This dry season presents an opportunity to enhance our flood defenses by focusing on dredging creeks and other waterways, and ensuring the proper maintenance of pumping stations, thereby establishing a robust flood management system in the metropolis,” he added.
He said personnel from the agency’s Flood Control and Sewerage Management Office are already hard at work servicing its pumping stations to ensure they are fully working to prevent flooding in the metropolis.
“The conduct of repairs and maintenance on these machines are crucial, if not indispensable, as these form part of the metropolis’ last line of defense against heavy rainfall and rising waters brought about by storms and typhoons,” he added.
The pumping stations push the floodwater to the Pasig River or Manila Bay.
He added that dredging, clearing, and desilting works are in full swing, especially in the flood-prone areas of Bayanan in Muntinlupa, Gatchalian and Talayan, all in Quezon City.
The MMDA chief said they are working to transform these perennially clogged conduits into clean and functioning waterways, which will mitigate, if not prevent, the adverse effects of strong and unabated rainfall during the rainy season.
Artes called on the public to do their share by not dumping their garbage haphazardly, so as not to clog waterways.
“As always, the MMDA encourages Metro Manila residents to be a part of our effort to combat floods within the metro, starting with responsible waste disposal,” Artes added.
A 2023 waste analysis and characterization study in Metro Manila that the MMDA conducted showed that 44 percent of household wastes can be recycled, while a separate report by the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources estimated that 85 percent of waste generated can be composted.
Earlier, Artes said there is a need to improve Metro Manila’s drainage system as its design is outdated and incapable of holding a huge volume of water during a heavy downpour.
The official said a 50-year drainage master plan to mitigate flooding in the metropolis was recently approved by the World Bank.
The master plan, Artes said, will address the problem by making sure the drainage systems in the metropolis will be common in terms of size and design.
The drainage master plan also aims to synchronize the policies, strategies and programs to address flooding and drainage improvement works in the national capital region.
