THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said on Thursday that it completed a flood control project in Sampaloc, Manila.
The department “recently completed the rehabilitation of drainage structure along E. Quintos Street in Sampaloc, Manila,” it said in a statement.
The area, home to a number of universities and commercial establishments, is prone to flooding during the rainy season, causing road congestion and leaving commuters stranded.
“The improvement of drainage system utilized a series of 2.40 by 1.80 meter of reinforced concrete box culverts that will significantly increase the capacity of Josefina-Lepanto and Lepanto-Gov. Forbes Drainage Mains to ensure smooth drain and flow of floodwaters in the event of heavy rainfall,” the department said.
“Funded under the 2021 General Appropriations Act, the P92-million project was implemented by DPWH North Manila District Engineering Office,” it added.
Many areas in Metro Manila are low-lying and designated flood prone, with insufficient protection against frequent inundation, while natural drainage is often restricted during rainfall events by high river and sea water levels, according to the World Bank.
The DPWH said in May that civil works had started on a major pumping station serving a flood-prone area of Valenzuela City. The station is being implemented by DPWH Metro Manila 3rd District Engineering Office and is “expected to address the city’s perennial flooding problem as well as of neighboring areas along Meycauayan River,” it said in a statement.
In the DPWH’s flood management master plan for the Greater Metro Manila area, among the considered measures was the application of rainwater catchment system that will enable some communities to store rainwater for reuse instead of allowing it to run off into a waterway.
The World Bank estimates that the Philippines was visited by 94 destructive typhoons between 2011 and 2015, or 9.3% more than the number of typhoons between 2006 and 2010.
The DPWH also announced on Thursday the completion of the construction of a P49-million slope protection structure along San Fernando-Bagulin Road in Barangay Bacsil, San Fernando City, La Union.
“With the completion of this eco-friendly mitigation structure, motorists and residents can now safely pass through the mountainous portion of San Fernando-Bagulin Road without worrying about accidents,” DPWH Region 1 Director Ronnel M. Tan said. — Arjay L. Balinbin
