MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday assured the public that the government is aggressively implementing flood mitigation measures in Metro Manila and other parts of the country ahead of the onset of the rainy season.
During an inspection of the G. Araneta Drainage Improvement Project in Quezon City, Marcos said the government is carrying out multiple interventions under the nationwide “Oplan Kontra Baha” program to reduce flooding in historically flood-prone areas.
“As you know, we’re here at G. Araneta Avenue, tinitignan natin ang iba’t ibang ginagawa natin para mabawasan ang baha (we are checking the measures we are implementing to mitigate flooding),” Marcos said.
The over PHP482-million drainage project involves the installation of two 1.50-meter-diameter high-density polyethylene pipes along G. Araneta Avenue to upgrade the existing drainage system.
The 758-meter project, stretching from Kaliraya Street to E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, is targeted for completion by May 31.
G. Araneta Avenue, located near Talayan Creek and the San Juan River, is among Metro Manila’s most flood-prone areas due to recurring overflow during heavy rains.
Standing along the notoriously flood-prone G. Araneta Avenue, Marcos said the project forms part of a broader strategy that includes drainage upgrades, desilting operations, pumping stations and river rehabilitation efforts.
He noted that the temporary pumping station currently operating in G. Araneta would eventually be replaced by a permanent facility near the San Juan River.
The President said the interventions are based on recommendations from the government’s Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) studies, which identified critical flood-prone areas requiring long-term engineering solutions.
“This is one of the areas that are critical. This is not the only area that we are doing these kind of interventions to make sure that we find a way para mailabas ang tubig para naman hindi na masyado bumaha (to release water and lessen flooding),” he said.
Marcos said additional excavation work is still needed in the area before the peak of the rainy season, but expressed confidence residents would immediately feel improvements once heavy rains begin.
“These are the strategies that we are employing. It will take a bit of time but we put in a good start,” he said.
He added that while Metro Manila remains a priority because of its dense population and vulnerability to flooding, similar flood control interventions are also being undertaken nationwide.
“Isa lang ito, napakarami nang ganito ang ginagawa natin around Metro Manila at saka sa buong Pilipinas (This is just one of the many flood mitigating measures we are doing around Metro Manila and the entire Philippines),” Marcos said. (PNA)