Projects underway to protect Palace from natural calamities

MANILA, Philippines - After tropical storm “Ondoy” brought record-high floods in Malacañang last week, work is being rushed to protect the seat of government and major projects in Metro Manila from natural calamities, President Arroyo said yesterday.

Ondoy brought massive destruction in the metropolis and did not spare the Palace, which portions were in waist-deep floods.

The Heroes Hall on the ground floor of Malacañang was also flooded, prompting the President to temporarily take refuge at the Bahay Pangarap across the Pasig River.

As of Wednesday, workers were still clearing debris inside the Palace, and evacuees taken in by Mrs. Arroyo from Quezon City were sheltered at the luxurious Ceremonial Hall at the second floor.

“Floods spare no one. Floods do not spare the President of the Philippines. They do not spare the seat of government,” Mrs. Arroyo told The STAR in a pooled interview in her office at the National Disaster Coordinating Council headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

She said Malacañang was a country home bought by the Spanish government in the 1800s and has housed Spanish and American governor-generals and Philippine presidents since then.

But since Pasig River cuts through the complex, the Palace is no stranger to floods, she told reporters.

“All this time, when the river overflows or when the water gathers on J.P. Laurel street (fronting Malacañang), it gets flooded. But even if last week was the worst, it wasn’t that bad, because it was just up to the steps of Kalayaan Hall,” Mrs. Arroyo said, referring to the road fronting the Palace.

“In other words, all these years, at least when I was the President’s (Diosdado Macapagal) daughter living there for the first time, no serious flood has visited the Palace,” she said.     – Paolo Romero