Floodway clean-up to evict 2,070 families
Posted on November 4th, 2009
In order to avoid the floods that happened during the onslaught of tropical storm Ondoy last September, the government wants to clear the floodway of any obstructions. Because of this, about 2,070 illegal settler families who live along Napindan Channel and Manggahan Floodway in Pasig City would be evicted. This is all part of the measures being undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to improve the flood control in Metro Manila.
According to DPWHY Undersecretary for Luzon Romeo Momo, the two waterways overflowed at the height of Ondoy last September 26, flooding Metro Manila and endangering the lives of many people. Momo added that the order to evict the families along the two floodways came from Malacañang.
“This is the marching order given to us by President Arroyo so we have to remove all the obstructions, if necessary, to maximize the utilization of our river banks… so the dredging may eventually take place anytime.”
The DPWH undersecretary also said that they have already requested the assistance of the local government units affected in the removal of the illegal structures that have hampered the flow of floodwaters. The measure, Momo added, is also in preparation for the coming of future heavy rains and flooding in the metropolis. The success of the project, he said, is greatly dependent on the support and cooperation of local officials.
The Napindan Channel floodway acts as a catch basin where accumulated rainwater from Metro Manila streams down, while the Mangahan waterway reduces flooding along Pasig River because it flushes water out of the Marikina River to Laguna de Bay.
