By Brian Campued
As much of the western section of the country, including the National Capital Region (NCR), continues to experience widespread flooding due to heavy rains triggered by the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat), President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday announced the government’s plans to construct underground water storage facilities across Metro Manila, in a bid to minimize flooding.
Coming off a situation briefing at the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) central office in Pasig City regarding the effects of monsoon rains, President Marcos Jr. said that the project is part of the administration’s various flood mitigation efforts, including the upgrading of seawalls and other measures under “Oplan Kontra Baha.”
According to the President, the government has identified some 30 sites for the planned water-impounding facilities in Metro Manila, providing a way to temporarily hold large volumes of rainwater during intense downpours and reduce pressure on drainage and flood-control systems.
These sites include Rajah Sulayman Park and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) grounds in Manila as well as Rizal Memorial Circle and Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
“Meron na tayong 30 na sites na puwede nating gamitin para dito sa mga cistern, at hinihintay na lang natin yung detailed engineering… which will be finished within this month,” he said.
The President noted that rainwater stored in these facilities must also be put to productive use rather than simply discharging it into the sea.
“Pag-aralan natin na imbis itapon yung tubig sa dagat—gagawa tayo ng sistema para kung ano man yung nakolekta na tubig ay magamit din, magamit for household use, magamit for industrial purposes, magamit for irrigation, whatever uses that we can find for it para hindi naman masayang. Dahil nakakapanghinayang na makita natin nakapagkolekta tayo nang napakarami na tubig, itatapon lang natin sa dagat—kailangan na kailangan natin yan,” he said.
Meanwhile, Marcos Jr. assured that dredging operations will be sustained and that all 73 pumping stations in the capital region are operating in tip-top shape to ensure faster recession of floodwaters.
These, along with improved drainage capacities and deployment of 11 mobile pumping units, he noted, have helped make the flood subside quicker, particularly in Quezon City, where approximately 201 millimeters of rain was recorded in just five hours on Monday, Aug. 17.
“Mas mabilis na ang paglabas ng tubig at kung yung dati, maghihintay ang tao ng dalawa, tatlong araw bago mawala yung baha, ngayon wala pang isang araw ay wala na,” he said.
However, the President acknowledged that the habagat’s impact in the country remains “widespread and severe,” with 4,700 barangays and around 1.7 million families affected, while 27 deaths and 17 injuries were reported.
“There is still a lot of work that needs to be done,” he said. “Ipapagpatuloy natin ito to make sure that we have solutions for the very short-term, we have solutions for the medium-term, and, eventually, we will have solutions for the longer-term.”
Earlier, during a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said that the government, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), has already provided nearly P800 million in humanitarian assistance to areas affected by persistent heavy rains, including more than P2.3 million in financial aid for affected residents.
The agency has P832 million in standby funds nationwide for further disaster response, Castro added.
The Department of Health (DOH) has also heightened its monitoring for a possible increase in leptospirosis cases, while affected Centers for Health Development (CHDs) remain under Code White Alert.
The agency has likewise prepositioned around 3.1 million doxycycline capsules at its central office and 17 CHDs to ensure adequate supply in hospitals and local governments. (with report from Kenneth Paciente / PTV News)
-jpv
