Sa kabila ng pagkakaroon ng pumping stations, mabilis pa rin ang pagtaas ng tubig sa Metro Manila tuwing umuulan. Ano nga ba ang ugat ng matinding pagbaha sa rito? Muling balikan ang ating pagtalakay sa isyu na ‘yan sa video na ito.
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00:00 [Music]
00:04 In a study conducted by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau,
00:06 which was opened in the entire Metro Manila,
00:08 the flood prone area is considered highly susceptible to flooding in 400 barangays.
00:14 In Metro Manila, the main flood control project is the pumping station.
00:20 The design of these is from the canals, estuaries, and other waterways.
00:26 The water should be directed to the pumping stations before it is released to rivers like Pasig River,
00:32 Paranaque River, San Juan River, and until the water is completely released to Manila Bay.
00:38 In other parts of Metro Manila, the water is directed to Manggahan Floodway,
00:45 which will bring water to Laguna Dibay, which serves as a water reservoir.
00:51 In total, there are 52 pumping stations in Manila.
00:56 The question is, why despite the existence of these, the flood continues?
01:04 According to the urban planner, Paolo Alcazaren,
01:10 the waterways in Metro Manila are outdated.
01:14 The capacity of these is only 15 millimeters of flood water.
01:19 But the rainwater last Thursday reached 85 millimeters.
01:24 We really need to be equal in the level of development.
01:28 And we need to project the level of development, type of development, complexity,
01:33 the density of development, how many housing units in the condominium complex.
01:42 Before, the area was supported by 20 families, now it's 2000.
01:49 These are our waterways before.
01:52 They are clean and used for transport.
01:55 The movement of goods and people is by canal, like Venice.
02:01 Bernham said that our waterways are like the canals of Venice.
02:07 What happened? We poured our canals, the others filled them,
02:12 made it real estate, and our drainage system was lost.
02:17 Our other pumps are 30 years old, but they are still operational, maintained by the MDA.
02:26 But our old pumps, although operational,
02:30 we cannot ensure the efficiency of 100 percent because of old age.
02:37 So, we have scheduled to rehabilitate them.
02:42 The waterways are outdated, and there are still many obstructions.
02:47 First is the garbage dump.
02:50 One of our goals there is the part of the San Juan River in Calentong, Mandaluyong City.
02:58 Here in Ilog na Kalutang, all kinds of garbage that you can think of,
03:03 this is the literal garbage river.
03:06 The situation here is not far from the Estero de Magdalena in Santa Cruz, Manila.
03:11 Garbage is flowing through the Estero.
03:15 Of course, you will clean it now.
03:20 When you come back tomorrow, there will be a lot of garbage.
03:22 It will be repeated.
03:24 Another reason for the damage of the waterways
03:29 are the informal settlers living next to it.
03:33 If they need to go to the river, they can go there.
03:36 They can do it here, but the damage is in the Estero.
03:40 According to the law, there should be no infrastructure
03:45 or house on any waterway within 15 to 20 meters.
03:50 But it is clear that in other places in Manila, this is not followed.
03:56 It is not just the informal settlers who throw garbage,
04:00 even the formal settlers and the establishments throw garbage there
04:04 because there is no policing, no fines,
04:09 we don't have a carrot and stick for them,
04:12 and people have no sense of civic consciousness.
04:16 They throw garbage, they think that there is no repercussion, but there is.
04:23 At present, more than 100,000 families live in these so-called waterways
04:29 which are also considered as danger zones.
04:32 When it comes to pumping stations, like the one in Pasay, Navotas, and Manila,
04:42 garbage dumps are still a problem.
04:44 That is why the waterways are almost not moving.
04:48 Because our informal settlers are standing on the water.
04:52 It is not just in the eastment.
04:53 As a problem, their solid waste is directly and indiscriminately dumped in the creek itself.
05:04 Aside from the pumping stations,
05:08 one of the biggest flood control projects in Metro Manila is the Blumenthrift Flood Interceptor Project.
05:14 This is a catchment area that is adjacent to the floodwater in Quezon City and Manila.
05:21 But until now, it is still not finished.
05:24 The worst is the rain that fell last Thursday.
05:31 Most of the floods are in Quezon City and Manila.
05:35 Aside from the problems faced by flood control projects in Metro Manila,
05:45 another one that Alcazaren is talking about, which is the flood zone, is the overdevelopment in Manila.
05:50 The supply, drainage, and power needs to be proportioned to the intensity of development.
05:58 That is the lack.
06:00 Local authorities want the development to be more intensive
06:05 because that is the sign of improvement in their cities.
06:08 But there is a need for infrastructure to support them.
06:14 And if this is the only place where the development is improved,
06:18 the surrounding development will be the only one to suffer.
06:22 That's why you need coordination with adjoining LGUs and with the region.
06:27 But the water is coming in.
06:29 One of Alcazaren's suggestions is the use of so-called purview cement for the roads in Metro Manila.
06:38 So all of that water can go into the cistern or into the gravel bed.
06:46 Under the Metro Manila Flood Control Management Project,
06:49 the government of the Philippines will borrow 500 million dollars
06:54 from the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
06:57 for the construction of various projects to solve the flood problem.
07:02 Like the construction of a dam in the Upper Marikina River Catchment Area.
07:07 Improvement of urban drainage.
07:09 Modernization of Metro Manila pumping stations.
07:12 And improvement of flood forecasting.
07:14 All of the projects or programs that we will implement in Metro Manila
07:20 will be in accordance with the Flood Management Master Plan of Metro Manila.
07:25 The purpose of this project is to modernize the drainage area
07:30 in the priority flood prone areas of Metro Manila.
07:34 In the report released by the Commission on Audit for the MMDA last year,
07:38 from 2014 to 2016, the total project cost of flood control and sewage projects in the National Capital Region reached almost 800 million pesos.
07:50 And from 2014 to 2016, the total cost of flood control projects reached 168 million pesos
08:00 that were not completed within specific contract time and required completion.
08:04 [Music]
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