PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Thursday that 13 pumping stations for Metro Manila would be operational this year or early next year.
The president, however, stressed that flood mitigation measures should be coupled with proper waste disposal.
“Even if we have good pumping stations and strong pumps, if garbage keeps getting in, their efficiency drops and they won’t run properly. That is what we really need to fix,” Marcos said in Filipino during his inspection of the Tripa De Gallina Pumping Station in Pasay City.
Marcos noted that flooding, triggered by the high volume of rainfall in recent weeks, has been exacerbated by garbage clogging the drainage system.
“People joke that if you gathered all the discarded waste, you could build a house — since there are kitchen sinks, mattresses, and all sorts of other things being thrown away,” he added.
Of the 13 pumping stations, four will be newly constructed and the rest upgraded.
“I think altogether we will have 13 additional pumping stations, which we should have in place by the end of this year or the beginning of next year. Most of them should be in place already,” he added.
In a Palace briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the president has ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to fast-track upgrades to the Tripa De Gallina facility so surrounding communities experience faster water recession.
“The president directed the DPWH to immediately continue clearing waterways through the Oplan Kontrabaha and Bayanihan Estero programs,” Castro said.
Built in 1976, the Tripa De Gallina Pumping Station is a high-capacity, energy-efficient facility, but the large volume of garbage entering it is reducing its efficiency.
The DPWH said flood control facilities across Metro Manila were built during the post-World War II era; hence, they need to be retrofitted.
