As the persistent rains in the past days led to flooding in a number of areas.
On Tuesday, August 11, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inspected the Verdant Covered Court Evacuation Center in Las Piñas City, where tents were set up for each of the 205 families (or 904 persons) following the inclement weather caused by the recent Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) and Tropical Cyclones Luis and Maymay.
During his visit, he witnessed the distribution of hot meals, family food packs, sleeping kits, hygiene kits, and PHP10,000 financial assistance to the affected families, alongside Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian.
The DSWD reported that the agency has provided PHP66,125 worth of assistance to affected families in the city, while PHP3 million has been allocated as standby funds.
Flooded areas during the height of the poor weather conditions were Barangays Talon Uno, Talon Tres and Pamplona Uno, with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) also noting that 14 defective booster pumps and road construction contributed to severe flooding.
Hence, the President also visited the ongoing flood-control operations, which included the deployment of a high-vacuum self-priming drainage trailer pump aimed at reducing water levels in the Alido River to help mitigate flooding in surrounding areas.
He witnessed the extraction of water from the Alido River into the Zapote River using the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) deployed drainage pump, while the dredging operation was also simultaneously conducted by the DPWH in the Zapote River under its Oplan Kontra Baha program.
“Effective naman ang ating ginagawa, ngunit alam naman natin kulang pa rin ‘yan,“ Marcos stressed. “Marami pa rin tayong kailangan gawin dahil itong… Halimbawa sa dredging, ngayon lang tayo nagde-dredge ulit na tinigil ng moratorium sa dredging for 12 years. So, 12 years walang dredging. Kaya’t pababaw nang pababaw ‘yung mga ilog natin, ‘yung mga spillway natin.”
After the inspection, the President also ordered DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon to revisit plans for the completion of the long-delayed Las Piñas spillway and noted that the government must review the existing plans and look what needs to be changed in the project.
“Speaking of spillway, ay kailangan na talaga natin tapusin ‘yung spillway dito sa Las Piñas para may labasan ‘yung tubig at matagal nang natigil ‘yang planong ‘yan.“
The President also noted that the spillway project has been in the works for more than a decade but has yet to be completed. “That plan has been in the works for – I don’t know, more than 10 years. Pero for some whatever reason, hindi natin nabuo at ngayon kailangan gagawin na natin.”
Meanwhile, apart from Las Piñas, President Marcos also directed Secretary Dizon and the DPWH to deploy 50 personnel and equipment suxh as backhoe, backhoe loader, and dump trucks to the Redemptorist Water Channel in Baclaran, Parañaque City.
This, as the body of water had a huge load of garbage that piled up amid the rains, with the clearing operations already underway to remove the waste.
“Nananawagan tayo paulit-ulit sa mga LGUs natin, sa mga kababayan natin na kailangan talaga mas maging madisiplina tayo sa pagtatapon ng basura,” said Dizon. “Pero kailangan na rin talaga natin tingin ko ng overall master plan to address the garbage crisis. Kasi kailangan tuldukan na natin ‘to once and for all.”
WASTE-TO-ENERGY PROGRAM
Meanwhile, President Marcos also said that the government would pursue a waste-to-energy program to address the country’s garbage problem, while generating additional electricity.
He noted that trash carried into the canals by floodwaters worsened the flooding as the waste became trapped amid high-tide conditions.
“Nakita ninyo ‘yung mga picture na punung-puno ‘yung kanal, punung-puno ng basura na hindi naman galing sa Parañaque, galing sa ibang lugar ‘yun. Pero dahil nabuksan na ‘yung ating mga kanal, lahat doon napasok, nasabayan pa ng high tide kaya naipit ‘yung mga basura doon,” the President said.
According to him, the program would involve processing waste and converting it into electricity, stressing that the technology is already established.
“Kami naman dito sa pamahalaan ay itutuloy na natin ‘yung waste-to-energy na program. Iyon ‘yung kinukuha ‘yung basura at ito ay pino-process at ginagawang kuryente,” he continued.
Similar to Dizon’s statement, the Chief Executive also appealed to local government units and the public to properly dispose of their waste and warned that improperly discarded garbage can cause significant damage during heavy rains and flooding.
“Nananawagan kami sa lahat ng involved, ang ating mga local government unit, ang ating lahat ng mamamayang Pilipino, mag-ingat po kayo dahil ang laking pinsala ang nangyayari kapag ‘yung basura natin ay hindi maganda ang pagtapon at dahil kung saan-saan na lang nilalagay,” the President added.
