President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inspects the Balihatar Creek in Parañaque, where the government will dismantle obstructions and clear waterways as part of the admin’s flood mitigation program. Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) did not use several heavy equipment from the World Bank since 2018, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday, adding that the agency initially wanted to reserve the machinery for a potential magnitude 7.2 earthquake that could hit the capital region.
The machines have been pulled out from the DPWH’s garages to help with the government’s current anti-flood program called the Greater Metro Manila Waterways Clearing and Cleaning Operations, Marcos told reporters after inspecting a creek in Parañaque City.
“We have discovered that kung makita ninyo ‘yung mga equipment na ito medyo bago-bago pa. Nandiyan ‘yan since when? 2018,” the President said.
“Seven years ago, naka-ano lang nakatenga lang doon sa warehouse nila, ng DPWH, at never nagamit dahil kailangan daw itago for the ‘Big One,’” he said.
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“Pero ito na yata ‘yung 'Big One' when it comes to flooding… Kaya nailabas na natin lahat. Gagamitin natin lahat ‘yan,” he added.
These 150 heavy equipment from the World Bank were procured through a loan, said Torillo Noel Ilao, director of the DPWH’s Bureau of Equipment.
“We are using some equipment na pwede sa mga small scale disasters, but the other equipment, hindi natin magagamit yan when it comes to massive operations kasi we are projecting — in case the Big One happens — may mga malalaking collapsed buildings, malalaki din ang equipment natin,” he said.
“‘Yung iba equipment natin doon para sa paglilinis ng tubig, for disaster lang talaga,” he added.
But this is the only time that there will be a “massive” deployment of the said equipment, Ilao added.
The DPWH has yet to give the full amount of the loan that the Philippines received from the World Bank for these barely-used machinery.
Meanwile, the government will not include an annual budget for the maintenance of creeks and the dredging of waterways, the President said.
“Ang una nating kailangang gawin ay linisin lahat ng mga estero, lahat ng mga spillway, lahat ng ganito upang maging mas malalim ‘yung ating pagdadaanan ng tubig,” he said.
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“Pangalawa, para maayos natin at maging mas maganda ang pagtakbo ng tubig para hindi nga maiwan ang lupa na nanggagaling sa taas, nagsi-siltation,” he said.
“Hindi ito maaaring gawin na minsan lang. Ito ay patuloy nating gagawin. Hindi natin titigilan ito. Kasama na ito sa MOOE (maintenance and other operating expenses) ng DPWH, maintenance na kailangan nilang gawin every year,” he said.
Under the previous set-up, congressional officials and several agencies would have to pitch for allocation for dredging and desiltation projects for specific waterways — a scheme which sources claimed to have been a common cause of corruption.
FAULTY PUMPING STATIONS
Marcos also flagged several water pumping stations that seemed to have exacerbated flooding problems in some areas.
“Ang isa pang nakita nating problema ay ang paglagay ng mga pumping station na mali,” he said.
“Mayroong mga pumping station – hindi lang mayroon – marami sa mga pumping station natin mula ng itinayo ay hindi pa gumana kahit minsan. Hindi nag-operate kahit minsan,” he said.
“Bakit? Dahil ‘yung pumping station mismo sa paglagay nila ‘yun pa ang nakaharang sa tubig. Imbes na magbigay ng solusyon, ito pa ang naging problema ‘yung mga pumping station na nilagay.”
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'OPLAN KONTRA BAHA'
Several private firms — including the San Miguel group and the MVP group — volunteered to help the government with the so-called “Oplan Kontra Baha” as it is expected to reduce flooding by 60 percent once competed, Marcos said
“We will continue to do this first part of the Oplan hanggang June, July of next year, mga nine months ito. Hindi namin titigilan,” the Chief Executive said.
“Ngunit even after that nine months ay patuloy lang, regular na ang paglinis, pag-desiltation, paglinis ng basura, lahat ito ay patuloy nating gagawin. Hindi nating puwedeng tigilan dahil alam naman natin umiipon pa,” he said.
Aside from the National Capital Region, the “Oplan Kontra Baha” will also be conducted in the following areas.
- Bacolod
- Bulacan
- Cagayan de Oro
- Cavite
- Cebu
- Cotabato
- Davao
- Laguna
- Pampanga
- Pangasinan
- Roxas City
The “Oplan Kontra Baha” will be based on the Project NOAH study, Marcos said, referring to the National Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) study that was launched in 2012 but defunded in 2017.
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“It’s the beginning of a very wide-ranging program to at least partially solve the problem of flooding especially in the urban areas, especially in Metro Manila and the other highly urbanized cities and provinces,” he said.
“This is going to be a simple solution but it will take a lot of work.”