Putting forward long-term solutions to flood control, Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso urged the national government to build more sewage treatment plants or STPs in the nation’s capital.
In a media interview, Domagoso said building more STPs will give the city a strong capability to prevent flooding despite heavy rainfall, as opposed to short-term measures of weekly declogging.
But right now, in the absence of STPs, the Mayor said the city will have to continue holding the line by strictly and consistently conducting declogging operations.
Domagoso also stressed that more STPs should not be limited to Roxas Boulevard, where most existing facilities are located, but should also be built in other flood-prone areas.
“The long-term solution is to create more STPs,” Domagoso said. “Dinagdagan mo ’yung load ng tubig na maibato sa dagat, na kailangan malinis.”
In putting forward this long-term solution, the Mayor referred to a Supreme Court writ of continuing mandamus which required national government agencies to clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila Bay, including the installation and operation of adequate sewage treatment facilities.
Domagoso explained that the construction of sewage treatment plants under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was necessary to comply with the court ruling.
However, he noted that existing STPs are insufficient to handle the volume of water entering the city during heavy rains.
“Sa Roxas Boulevard, ’yung pagsunod ng ating estado sa kautusan ng Supreme Court, ginawa at gumawa ang DENR, DPWH ng what you call STP (Sewage Treatment Plant). Maganda po ’yun, ’yun po ang solusyon sa pagtupad sa mandamus ruling o requirements ng estado na galing sa Supreme Court,” Domagoso said.
“Kaya lamang, ’yung mga tubo, kasi binarahan ang mga main canal natin, tatlo o apat na kanal na malalaki, ’yung tubo po ay hindi na sumasapat sa paghigop sa dami na at bilis ng daluyong ng tubig at ulan o baha,” he noted.
In the absence of STPs, Domagoso said the city will have to continue holding the line by strictly and consistently conducting declogging operations.
The Mayor also stressed that more STPs should not be limited to Roxas Boulevard, where most existing facilities are located, but should also be built in other flood-prone areas.
“But not Roxas Boulevard alone, because Manila Bay, if we are going to follow mandamus, kailangan po pati sa Baseco, sa 105, sa 128, sa Parola, those are the areas na may papuntang tubig sa lupa papuntang dagat,” he said.
He also shared that an inspection of Manila’s drainage system during the recent heavy rains revealed that some streets flooded due to clogged inlets filled with sand, soil, and silt—not garbage—suggesting that proper maintenance could also reduce flooding.
He added that some newly built pumping stations had yet to become operational, which worsened flooding in several areas, including Taft Avenue.
“Ang tingin po namin, ’yung mga bagong pumping stations na hindi pa tangan ng MMDA. Ibig sabihin, hindi pa ho naibigay sa kanila ang puder, hindi po gumagana,” Domagoso said.
“Kasi ang mga pumping station naman ng aming syudad na sa pangangalaga ng MMDA, tumatakbo naman po halos lahat. Pero ’yung mga bagong ipinagawa, it’s either brand new and non-operational, unusable and defective. That’s the truth of the matter,” he added.
