MANILA — The drainage system along Epifanio delos Santos Ave. (EDSA) needs repair to prevent flooding that leads to traffic congestion, the spokesperson of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said.
This as portions of the major thoroughfare and other areas in Metro Manila were flooded due to the heavy downpour on Friday morning.
“Kanina po madami ang tubig na dinala ng buhos ng ulan nagmistulang catch basin ang Gate 3 ng Camp Aguinaldo. Maliit po ang ingest ng mga drainages natin along EDSA. Kailangan tanggapin na kailangan nang ayusin ang drainage system sa EDSA (This morning, Gate 3 of Camp Aguinaldo became a catch basin due to high volume of rainwater. The drainage along EDSA can only ingest a little amount of floodwaters. We need to accept that it is urgent that the drainage system on EDSA must be repaired),” Celine Pialago said in a TV interview.
Pialago also attributed the flooding in the metropolis to ongoing infrastructure works and the volume of trash that are clogging the waterways and drainages.
“Ang Metro Manila ay below sea level kaya babahain talaga tayo. Sa usapin ng mga baradong drainage habang patuloy po tayo sa pagsasagawa ng declogging natin at clearing operations sa mga drainages, tuloy-tuloy pa rin po ang kababayan natin na hindi disiplinado. Yung infrastructures will also cause flooding. Pero di lang po sa infrastructure per se. Marami pong factors (Metro Manila is below sea level, making it more prone to flooding. On the matter of clogged drains, while we are conducting declogging and clearing operations, some of our countrymen lack discipline. Infrastructures will also cause flooding. But it is not only infrastructure per se. There are many factors),” she said.
The MMDA is in charge of declogging wastes in drainage systems while the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is responsible for their construction and maintenance, Pialago said.
She said the flood in most areas has already subsided, except at the Araneta-Victory Terminal in the EDSA-Cubao area.
Some of the areas that were reported to be flooded included Mother Ignacia Ave., the northbound side of EDSA Gate-3 of Camp Aguinaldo, NS Amoranto St., and Talayan in Quezon City.
As of this posting, the tail end of the traffic congestion along EDSA has reached Roxas Blvd. on the northbound direction and SM North on the southbound direction.
The Quezon City local government has already suspended classes in all levels in both public and private schools due to flooding and heavy traffic.
Metro Manila will be experiencing partly cloudy to at times cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms throughout the day, according to weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. (Aerol John Pateña/PNA)
