By Brian Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. vowed the continuous implementation of flood mitigation efforts across the country under the “Oplan Kontra Baha” program.
On Friday, the President went to Quezon City to inspect the newly rehabilitated drainage system along Gregorio Araneta Avenue, one of the most flood-prone areas in Metro Manila.
In a media statement, Marcos Jr. said that the installation of larger drainage pipes in the sub-urban arterial road has helped reduce flooding, which could reach up to the second floor of houses during heavy rains and cause major traffic disruptions in the thoroughfare.
He noted that residents of Barangay Tatalon have already experienced the benefits of the new drainage project as well as the E. Rodriguez–Mariablo Bridge Mobile Pumping Station, as floodwaters now recede more quickly than they did before.
“Patuloy natin itong gagawin… Kalahati pa lang ito. Gagawin din natin ‘yan doon sa kabila para talagang mabilis ang takbo ng tubig, mabilis ang paglabas ng tubig, at hindi na mababaha rito sa G. Araneta Avenue, dito sa Tatalon,” he said.
Aside from strengthening flood control infrastructure, the President underscored the need to intensify garbage collection and declogging operations along drainages and waterways.
He stressed that while “small-scale” declogging efforts are already being done by residents themselves, a system should be put in place to ensure consistent cleanup and prevent the accumulation of garbage that could clog the newly built drainage system.
“Kaya magpapatulong tayo sa local government, hihingi tayo ng tulong kay Mayor Joy [Belmonte] at sabihin natin kung pwede ay gawa tayo ng sistema para tuloy-tuloy ang pag-declogging,” Marcos Jr. said.
“Napakalaking bagay na ayusin natin ito,” he added.
During the inspection, Marcos Jr. was joined by Health Secretary Ted Herbosa and Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, who also accompanied the President in a similar inspection of the pipe-laying project last May.
The G. Araneta Drainage Improvement Project spans 758 meters from Kaliraya Street to E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue and includes the installation of two 1.50-meter-diameter High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipes beneath the roadway, supplementing the existing 0.91-meter-diameter drainage line beneath the sidewalk.
In an interview, Dizon assured that similar interventions are being carried out across Metro Manila.
“Kung ano yung ginawa dito ng district natin sa G. Araneta, kailangan ganito na rin yung gagawin sa buong Metro Manila kasi nakita natin effective eh,” he said.
“As long na tama ang gagawin, hindi nanakawin ang pera… tingin ko kahit papaano, maiibsan talaga yung pagbaha,” he added.
Launched in 2025, the “Oplan Kontra Baha” is a multi-sectoral approach on flood mitigation that includes waterway clearing, drainage rehabilitation, and pumping station upgrades aimed at reducing flooding in Metro Manila and other critical flood-prone areas nationwide.
-jpv
