MANILA, Philippines - To prevent another flooding in Marikina City brought about by the non-stop rains during Tropical Storm Ondoy in 2009 which claimed the lives of many of its residents, the local government on Saturday called on the protection of the Marikina watershed.
Led by Mayor Del De Guzman, the city government officials declared September 26 as the Marikina Watershed Protection Day as mandated by an ordinance signed last March.
The Ondoy onslaught flooded Marikina City, Metro Manila and Rizal provinces in 2009.
De Guzman said he hopes everyone will heed his appeal for a concerted effort in the rehabilitation of the Marikina watershed.
"I urge the public to act now and support efforts by government and corporations to reforest and rehabilitate our watershed as well as to create awareness about the need to care for this protected landscape. This is our first line of defense against flooding," De Guzman said.
Residents and local officials staged a fluvial procession of the image of Our Lady of the Abandoned, the patroness of Marikina, early in the morning which was followed shortly with a Holy Mass at the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto.
Right after a program at the Marikina River Park, a tree-planting activity was also held at Pintong Bocaue in San Mateo, Rizal where some 2,000 seedlings of guyabano and bignay trees were planted.