Navotas frustrated over dike progress

Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco said he has grown tired and sees no hope that the vaunted Camanava Mega Flood Control Project will ever be completed, at least by 2007 as announced.

Despite several groundbreaking rites in the last six years, the project has not moved much with the government admitting the project is only some 30 percent complete at latest count.

The mega dike project, financed by the Japanese government for over P5 billion, has been bruited about as the final solution to the perennial flooding in this area north of Metro Manila.

"This sinking, pardon the pun, feeling as long been with us and the people of Navotas and, unfortunately for them, shared likewise by the people of Malabon, our similarly waterlogged neighbor. But we cannot rely on the promises of the DPWH to do it on time," Tiangco said.

This developed as the mayor reported that the local government’s flood mitigation projects have resulted in a significant reduction of flooding in his town.

Even with the high tides, most streets in perennially flooded Navotas is now flood-free, Tiangco said, daring all doubters to see for themselves, particularly M. Naval street traversing some five barangays in the coastal town, including the portion fronting the spanking Navotas town hall.

"Ayokong asahan. Ayaw na ng mga tao mag-antay. Kung matatapos nila, eh, di mabuti. Good for them. The people can not wait so we are making things happen. Even without the help of the national government," Tiangco said.

Tiangco expressed confidence that more pumping stations and dikes will be operational soon. He said the people can expect more improvements in the next few months.

Tiangco said over P16 million had been set aside for the self-reliant project that featured the construction of a riverine embankment or wall, installation of pumping stations and construction of floodgates to control the outflow and inflow of tidal waters from the Manila Bay.

Barangay Bangkulasi, which stretches some one kilometer along the Manila Bay shoreline, was the first to be tested and has been proven effective. The local government is now thick into the construction of 12 floodgates, six pumping stations, some 2.5 kilometers of drainage systems and 500 meters of riverine walls in two other barangays, San Jose and Sipac Almacen. The project in San Rafael Village will be started soon, the mayor said. The barangays are serviced by the six to 10-kilometer M. Naval, Na-votas’ main road.

"The flooding has been reduced 100 percent in areas where the pumping stations were built. When the rains come in June, we expect Navotas to be almost flood-free. And even with the high tide. Gone will be the days na lagi kaming nababanatan," complained Tiangco, who has made flood control in this town of 200,000 as his priority infrastructure project since he first assumed office in 200.