‘Southern Metro flooding worsened by high tide’

MANILA, Philippines — Floodwaters that swamped Parañaque during the onslaught of monsoon rains over the weekend were worsened by the high tide in Manila Bay, Mayor Edwin Olivarez said yesterday.

Low-lying areas such as Pascual Compound, San Antonio Valley 2 and Dr. A. Santos Avenue were inundated on Saturday night.

Olivarez said although the local government is conducting dredging and cleanup operations in creeks and rivers, the high tide in Manila Bay worsened the situation.

“Water from Las Piñas and Muntinlupa flows through Parañaque River. So if Manila Bay is at high tide, water cannot go out from our drainages,” Olivarez told The STAR. “If there’s no high tide, the water flows out faster.”

Olivarez said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has installed a pumping station in Pascual Compound.

“The compound has no drainage to bring out water because of the developments around the area,” he said.

Janet Parza, vice president of the Pascual Compound neighborhood association, told ABS-CBN News that residents have been suffering from flooding for five years.

Olivarez said the city government is already working to install a drainage system in the area.

Climate change

Asked about his administration’s progress in mitigating floods, Olivarez pinned the blame on climate change.

“The amount of rain right now is so large that we can see flooding all over Metro Manila,” the mayor said, adding, “Here in Parañaque, we are finding ways such as dredging to mitigate flooding.”

More than 600 families stayed in 16 evacuation centers over the weekend, according to Olivarez, but most of the evacuees returned home yesterday. Five evacuation sites remain open.

The Metro Manila Council (MMC) is discussing proposals to construct a floodgate in Parañaque River so it can be closed during high tide.

The monsoon rains did not spare other southern Metro Manila cities.

Las Piñas deployed a flood-mitigating pump at Alido Bridge to prevent the water level in Zapote River from rising.

Over 500 people were evacuated in Las Piñas.

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon inspected areas in Las Piñas with Mayor April Aguilar and Rep. Mark Anthony Santos on Sunday.

Some areas in Taguig were also flooded, including Barangay San Miguel, where the creek overflowed on Saturday night.

Taguig’s flood control projects are in the spotlight after Sen. Panfilo Lacson accused Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Pia Cayetano of receiving kickbacks.

Marikina suspends classes

Classes in all levels in both public and private schools in Marikina remain suspended today.

Mayor Maan Teodoro announced the citywide suspension of face-to-face and online classes.

The local government deployed larger mobile booster flood pumps in Barangays Malanday and Tumana to ease flooding.

Mayor Maan Teodoro said the pumps, deployed through the MMC, have an estimated pumping capacity three times greater than those currently installed at the Tumana pumping station.

Flooding was reported on Sunday in Libis Bulelak and Malanday, as well as Creekside in Tumana.

The city government has asked the Department of Public Works and Highways and its contractor to repair and restore the Tumana pumping station in District 2.

In San Juan, Mayor Francis Zamora said the city avoided massive flooding despite heavy rains, which he attributed partly to improved drainage and flood-control measures.

Zamora said no residents had to evacuate, although some low-lying areas recorded minor flooding that quickly subsided.

Tullahan River water rises

In Malabon, Mayor Jeannie Sandoval urged residents in flood-prone areas to evacuate early as water levels in the Tullahan River and nearby dams continued to rise.

The city’s disaster risk reduction and management office said La Mesa Dam reached its spilling level of 80.15 meters at 5 p.m. yesterday.

Twenty-nine families took shelter at three evacuation centers.

The city government said 43 evacuation centers are ready for activation, while relief packs are being prepared for evacuees. — Mark Ernest Villeza, Rainier Allan Ronda, Andrew Ronquillo