MMDA Claims Less Floods from Typhoon Henry Due to Pumping Stations

As the rains brought by Typhoon Henry continues to drench Luzon even as it moves away from the country, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) claims that flooding on major thoroughfares in Metro Manila has been lessened due to the  various pumping stations being operated by the agency as part of its flood control measures.

"Our pumping stations are working which resulted to less flooding," said MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia in a press briefing held earlier today, Tuesday, July 17. "So far, sa major thoroughfares wala naman reported na flooded and unpassable. If you can notice, yung mga major thoroughfares na may pumping stations kung dati yan overnight ang baha. But because of the pumping stations in two to three hours passable na yan (So far, we have not reported any flooding and unpassable areas along major thoroughfares. If you can notice, in major thoroughfares that have pumping stations before the flooding lasts overnight. Now the floods recede within two to three hours making these passable because of the pumping stations)."

The major challenge being faced by the agency though is the volume of wastes and trash clogging the drainages and waterways which might aggravate the flooding situation in Metro Manila.

"Ang challenge talaga namin is yung basura. Kaya minsan nagtatagal kapag binuksan natin ang pumping stations nakikita natin nagbabara ng basura. Kapag nakita ninyo yung mga basura sa ilog may sofa, ref saka gulong -- lahat ng klase ng basura makikita mo diyan. Everyday naghahakot kami ng truckloads of garbage. So minsan imbes na two hours wala nang tubig we take three hours to clean the waters (Our challenge today is the volume of wastes. The reason why at times flooding lasts long if you opened the pumping stations they are being blocked by trash. If you see the trash in the rivers, there are sofas, refrigerators and tires -- all kinds of wasters are there. We collect truckloads of garbage every day. Instead of two hours there are no floods we take three hours to clean the waters)," he added.

Earlier today, the MMDA announced the following areas as being flooed:

Laong Laan between Lacson to A. Mendoza;

España between Lacson to Maceda;

España between Lacson and M. dela Fuente;

España between Lacson and San Diego;

Barangay Tatalon Roxas District, northbound and southbound;

R. Papa Manila northbound;

E. Rodriguez Delos Santos Medical City, northbound and southbound;

Doña Carmen westbound; and

Cubao Tunnel, Aurora northbound.

Meanwhile, various government agencies and military branches have provided transportation to ferry stranded commuters, said Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT) spokesperson Atty. Aileen Lizada.

Besides the several military trucks dispatched by the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, the MMDA has also fielded one bus--with another bus and two military trucks on standby--while the Philippine Coast Guard has deployed one military truck, four Isuzu trucks and one Jack truck.

In light of the flooding in the metro, the MMDA has also suspended the number coding scheme for city buses and private vehicles this afternoon, with the exception of Las Piñas.