Rapid industrialization, rains, trash blamed for Metro flooding

Millions of motorists and pedestrians continue to complain of being stranded in many parts of Metro Manila as low-lying and flood-prone areas are flooded during the rainy season.

And government engineers traced the cause of the Metro Manila flooding problem to rapid industrialization, unusually heavy rainfall, indiscriminate dumping of garbage, and other causes.

With the causes identified, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Quezon City Second District Engineer Marlyn Garma Inguillo appealed to the public to exercise their sense of patriotism by disposing their garbage properly and strictly following the waste-segregation scheme of Quezon City and other local government units (LGUs) in the metropolis.

DPWH Quezon City First Assistant District Engineer Loida Busa recounted that in the past, discarded refrigerators, king-size beds, dining tables, sofas, chest freezers, and other home appliances were retrieved by government engineers from Metro Manila waterways.

With the garbage problem, Busa said licensed government civil engineers have turned into “glorified garbage” collectors to assist regular garbage collectors, noting that there were days when the district offices retrieve 1,000 fully-laden dump trucks of garbage in day.

To complement the flood efforts of the national government, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista has ordered the city engineering department to step up the inspection of retaining walls, declogging of waterways and improvement of drainage channels, to minimize flooding, especially during heavy downpour.

“To date, Quezon City is most prepared among local government units in flood control efforts as a result of the completion of some 17 city-funded waterways projects designed to prevent flashfloods during heavy downpours,” said Quezon City Engineer JoseliltoCabungcal.

“With its completion, QC residents can expect minimal flooding in this year’s rainy season,” he added.

In his report, Cabungcal said the projects, built at a cost of 1179.6 million, consisted of newlyconstructed retaining and revetment walls, grouted ripraps, and concrete canals built along various water channels in Quezon City, including San Francisco River, Kalamiong Creek, Anaran Creek, Pasong Tamo Creek, and RoxasDistrict. The city government has set aside

123.5 million for the construction of the reinforced concrete revetment wall (Phase 2) along San Francisco RiverLorraine Street at Parkway Village in Barangay Apolonio Samson; 115.4 million for the construction of a concrete retaining wall on 8th Street in Barangay Mariana; 114.7 million for the reinforced concrete retaining wall at Kalamiong Creek-Spring Valley (Phase 6) in Barangay BagongSilangan; 114.8 million for the construction of a concrete canal at Anaran Creek (Phase 6) in Barangay Phil-Am/West Triangle; 113.1 million for the construction of a concrete retaining wall at a creek leading to Marikina River in Barangay Libis; and 112.02 million for the construction of a retaining wall at a creek in Roxas District.

From 2013 to 2017, Cabungcal said the city government has already constructed some 13,395 linear meters of retaining wall, 7,002 linear meters of grouted riprap, 625 linear meters of concrete canal, and 100 linear meters of revetment walls.