The sorry state of infrastructure and waterways in Metro Manila will not prevent massive flooding similar to the situation when typhoon Ondoy hit the country last year, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said.
On Monday, the day after the first anniversary of typhoon Ondoy, MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino said the metro's clogged drainage systems and waterways would cause massive flooding should rainfall similar to that of Ondoy hit the country.
"I have to admit, infastructure-wise some of our drainage systems, lateral systems are still clogged. We may not be ready for that. I have to admit that--and you know this for a fact--that some of our esteros (creeks) are still clogged not just with litters but with informal settlers," he said in a press conference in Malacañang.
However, he noted that the public is "psychologically, mentally" prepared for such situations, as shown by their resiliency after Ondoy devastated a large part of Metro Manila.
He added that the government is working to clean up waterways and craft long-term plans to minimize flooding.
Estero Declaration
Tolentino said only around 30 percent of the metro's creeks have been cleaned by the MMDA due to budgetary constraints and limited manpower.
However, Tolentino said the recent signing of the "Estero Declaration" between the MMDA and 17 Metro Manila mayors, is expected to help prevent flooding in the metropolis and control environmental pollution.
Under the "Estero Declaration," signed on September 24, the mayors will implement their respective anti-littering ordinances and clean and dredge the esteros, creeks, and other waterways located within their jurisdiction
Tolentino said the MMDA is now crafting an integrated Metro Manila flood control plan because the existing one was crafted around 1952. He said he expects the draft to be finished by mid-November this year.
Manila Blueprint 2030
The MMDA is also working on a more comprehensive plan, the Manila Blueprint 2030, which will include plans for Metro Manila and nearby areas about flood control, flood management, and urban renewal, among others.
Tolentino said new pumping stations will be constructed and additional pumps will be installed to increase the metro's capacity to drain floodwaters.
Among the MMDA's other proposals are the upgrading of existing drainage systems and the widening and dredging of rivers to their desired depth and width.
"We cannot avoid floods. Accept that as a reality, just like we can't avoid traffic," he said. "But we can reduce floods, and the consequences."
Malacañang has proposed only P980 million for the MMDA's 2011 budget, which means the MMDA will have to work closer with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and private firms to implement its proposals.
Tolentino said he already met with DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson to identify the projects they can immediately work on
Cleanup of Tullahan River
According to an MMDA press release, Tolentino also signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with San Miguel Foundation (SMF), the social development arm of food and beverage firm San Miguel Corporation, for the cleanup of the 15-kilometer Tullahan river.
Under the MOA, SMC subsidiary San Miguel Brewery will lend the MMDA a backhoe and pantoon barge to be used in dredging operations.
The SMF, on the other hand, will provide the MMDA with operational requirements such as fuel and maintenance amounting to not more than P416,396 a month. The MMDA will take care of personnel and additional equipment needed.
The project will initially run for a year and will cover the portion of the river between the San Miguel Brewery-Polo plant in Valenzuela City to Manila Bay in Navotas, the statement said.
Tolentino said the MMDA also partnered with a "small construction firm" which would also support the government by providing fuel. The MMDA is also setting up "flood control bayanihan zones," or community based alliances that will address flooding and other disasters.
These will be composed of government agencies, local government, non-government organizations, religious groups, and business organizations.
Causes of flooding
Tolentino said flooding in Metro Manila is caused by the following: rapid urbanization and development; rapid clogging and siltation of drainage laterals and waterways; encroachment of open waterways; lack of integrated land use plans; excessive rainfall attributed to climate change; and inadequate flood control stuctures.
There are two major flood control facilities in the metropolis: (1) the Manggahan floodway which traverses Pasig City, Cainta, and Taytay; and (2) the Napindan hydraulic control structure which regulates the flow of water between Pasig River and Laguna Lake.
However, around 70,000 families have informally settled along the banks of some of the metropolis's waterways, hampering the smooth flow of water, Tolentino said.
A GMANews.TV report last year showed that the presence of informal settlers along the banks of the Manggahan floodway constricted water movement when Ondoy struck.
A month's worth of rains in six hours
Citing data from the Manila Observatory, Tolentino said on September 26 last year, typhoon Ondoy (international name: Ketsana) brought in 368.8 millimeters (mm) of rainfall in approximately six hours.
That amount is higher than the monthly average rainfall of 330.3 mm, Tolentino noted.
According to GMA News Research, typhoon Ondoy, the 15th tropical cyclone to enter the country in 2009, left 464 people dead and 529 people injured. Eleven persons were also missing because of the typhoon.
The research team also said the typhoon affected 986, 825 families or 4,846, 417 persons.
Marikina was the area most severely affected by Ondoy as 50 percent of its barangays (eight out of 16 barangays) were submerged in floodwaters. –VVP
