The Makati City government has intensified its campaign to clean up drainage systems to prevent severe floods in the city.
Mayor Abigail Binay tapped the city’s Department of Engineering and Public Works to step up its declogging of the city drainage system to mitigate flooding due to heavy rains brought by typhoons and the southwest monsoon.
“I have directed the DEPW to continuously implement maintenance and massive declogging operations to ensure that our drainage system flows freely, especially at this time of the year, to prevent flooding,” said Binay.
During the first six months, the DEPW under the supervision of Engineer Lauro Reyes collected 1,056 metric tons of solid waste and silt, roughly equivalent to 26 garbage trucks.
A total of 107,454 linear meters long of drainage in 27 barangays in the two districts were declogged during the same period.
However, Binay noted that floods cannot be prevented altogether in low-lying areas in the city, particularly those that are near creeks and other waterways.
“We can only do so much with flood-prone areas that serve as catch-basins when creeks overflow. Our waterways are connected with those of other localities, so even as we continuously clean up our waterways, we cannot stop the influx of solid waste from outside sources,” she said.
Instead, the city chief executive has directed the DEPW, together with the Department of Environmental Services and other city offices, to religiously clean up waterways and clear out illegal structures along easement areas and sidewalks. Through their combined efforts, floodwaters have been noted to recede faster after a downpour.
Based on data from the DEPW, the average receding time for floodwaters in District 1 is 30 minutes, while for District 2 is 15 to 20 minutes.
Through its declogging operations conducted since January, the DEPW has hauled 620 metric tons of debris and silt from a total length of 72,610 linear meters of drainage in 15 barangays in the first district. These included Pio del Pilar, Olympia, Bangkal, Tejeros, San Antonio, Palanan, Sta. Cruz, La Paz, Poblacion, Bel-Air, Valenzuela, Carmona, Kasilawan, San Isidro, and Singkamas.
In District 2, its operations on around 34,844 linear meters of drainage in 12 barangays have yielded about 435 metric tons of solid waste. Covered were barangays Pembo, Rizal, Comembo, West Rembo, Guadalupe Viejo, Pitogo, Cembo, Pinagkaisahan, Guadalupe Nuevo, East Rembo, South Cembo, and Guadalupe Nuevo.
Meanwhile, DEPW also repaired and restored 357 manholes and their covers, 536.35 square meters of curb and gutter, and 352.9 square meters of concrete pavement and top slabs.
Last May, DEPW also conducted clean-up operations in Calatagan Creek in Brgy. Palanan (250 linear meters), Sta. Clara Creek in Brgy. Tejeros (100 lm) and Sanzibar Creek in Brgy San Isidro (294 lm).
DEPW also monitors the following creeks: Amorsolo, Maricaban, Medina, PNR, Makati Diversion Channel, Tripa de Gallina-Bangkal and Calatagan, Camachile, Balisampan, San Jose, Pateros, Pinos, Ayala, and San Lorenzo.
Being monitored are waterways in Brgys. Singkamas, Kasilawan, and Carmona in District I. In District 2, under close watch are the streets Maya, Zyris, and Paloma in Rizal, Charlie and Target Range in Pembo, and 21st Avenue in East Rembo.