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By Francis Earl A. Cueto Reporter
PRAY that it will not rain that
hard. That is what Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA)
Chairman Bayani Fernando said when asked what the agency is doing in
preparation for the “La Niña.”
“Kung umulan man sana ipagdasal
natin na huwag masyadong malakas..yung unti-unti lang…pero wag
naman ‘yung walang ulan na talaga kasi kailangan din yan ng mga
farmers natin [Let’s pray it doesn’t rain very hard…let’s
hope the rains will come in gradually…but not to a point where
there will be no rains since we also need water for planting
crops],” Fernando said.
The Philippine Atmospheric,
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa)
recently reported that there would be more rains in the last three
months of 2007, which can translate to flooding in many parts of the
country.
Besides prayers, Fernando said
the MMDA is keeping its flood-control personnel busy in cleaning
esteros and other waterways so flooding will be mitigated when heavy
rains pour down on Metro Manila.
The MMDA Chariman also said there
is an ongoing multi-million mega-dike project that will cover 18.48
square kilometers of flood-prone areas in the cities of Caloocan,
Malabon and Navotas (Camanava) that will contribute greatly in
making Metro Manila flood-free. The project costs around P5 billion
and is funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).
The MMDA is also expected to
improve its flood control operations after Malacañang more than
doubled the agency’s budget for flood control to P256 million for
2008 from the P101 million this year.
Among the areas identified as
priorities by the MMDA in its flood control program are the Antipolo
drainage, Blumentritt creek, Sunog Apog creek, Dimasalang creek and
the Paranaque, San Juan and Tullahan rivers.
The MMDA also issued a warning to
errant restaurants, food chains and other eateries dumping grease
and wastes into drainage systems, which contribute to flooding.
Fernando explained that food establishments should have “grease
traps’’ to prevent fat and oils from food wastes getting into
public drainages.
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