'MMDA better prepared for habagat'

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Monday reported rescuing and evacuating 832 families or about 3,922 individuals from flooded parts of Manila, Quezon City, Makati, Mandaluyong, San Juan and Marikina as heavy monsoon rain battered the capital region.

The MMDA said that in Marikina, 436 families were evacuated from barangays Concepcion, Malanday and Nangka; 68 families from the Baseco area in Manila; 65 families in Quezon City; 80 families from Barangays Bangkal, Palanan and Rizal in Makati City; 125 families from Barangays Addition Hills, Daang Bakal, Mabini, and Poblacion in Mandaluyong City; 58 families from Barangays Salapan, Kabayanan and Balong Bato in San Juan City.

The MMDA said that flooding in San Juan City and in the nearby Araneta Avenue in Quezon City quickly subsided or in just 20 minutes after a new pumping station in Barangay Balong Bato was put to operation on Monday. It is one of three newly-built MMDA pumping stations.

The Marikina River that almost overflowed at about 11 p.m. on Sunday when its level almost reached the 17-meter breach level or at 16.92 meters, was reported at 15.06 meters at 11:10 a.m., according to the MMDA’s Flood Control and Information Center (FCIC).

The MMDA, meanwhile, said that it is now better prepared for the monsoon rains compared to last year.

MMDA General Manager Corazon Jimenez told reporters that the MMDA has better coordination now with the various local government units.

Jimenez also said taht local government units in the metropolis are now better prepared for flooding at their respective areas.

He said that it was only the city of Las Piñas that had requested rescue boats and sandbags from the MMDA since torrential rains started hitting Metro Manila on Sunday.

“We were monitoring the flooding, the usual areas, especially when the rains intensified on Sunday evening. I’m surprised that some areas like Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela) did not ask for assistance for evacuation until yesterday morning,” she said.

“We are prepared until Wednesday. The projection for the rainfall is until Wednesday,” Jimenez added.

According to Jimenez, the 51 flood pumping stations located across the metro are all operational and have sufficient fuel. Last year, some parts of Taguig City got flooded after a crucial pumping station ran out of diesel fuel.

Jimenez said that should a pumping station run low on fuel, they are authorized to buy from the nearest source.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said in an early briefing of a joint task force led by the agency said that the bitter lessons learned from the devastating monsoon last year has made the MMDA better prepared.

“Dahil sa Habagat last year, gamay na natin ang problema. We have prepositioned our rescue units. The deployment of assets was also coordinated with the other agencies,” Tolentino said.

Meawhile, Director Edgardo Ollet of the Office of Civil Defense called on the public to be vigilant about landslides in Metro Manila that could follow the non-stop rains and floods.

“May risk na kaakibat ang walang tigil na ulan, ang pagguho ng lupa. Last year, there was a landslide along Commonwealth Avenue. We must now start monitoring for these landslides with coordination with the LGUs.  We now have a landslide vulnerability map that show where these possible landslides could happen in Metro Manila. But this must be further assessed by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau,” he said.

“Maski less than 15 millimeters and pagbaha, pag malambot na ang lupa, kailangan nang palikasin ang mga kabahayan dun,” Ollet added.