Navotas congressman ‘Toby’ Tiangco explains his point on flood control at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay media forum with host Maruchu Villanueva.
While there is an ongoing probe on alleged irregularities in the implementation of flood control projects under the infrastructure development agenda of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), former Navotas mayor and now the city’s representative in Lower House Tobias Reynald ‘Toby’ Tiangco has pointed out that initiatives to mitigate flooding in low-lying areas like Navotas should be pursued as people are suffering from the perrenial problem over the years.
Speaking at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay media forum at Cafe Adriatico and hosted by veteran journalist Marichu Villanueva, the mayor explained that while it is necessary to conduct an investigation on anomalies in government projects, it us important for our national government officials and even those in local governance to vigorously continue addressing the problem of flooding and other climate impacts that hamper our economic development.
Tiangco is a genuine champion in Congress for flood control projects since before his congressional stint for three consecutive terms, he first served as the local chief executive of Navotas City, which is known as one of the most flood-prone cities in our country.
Navotas is surrounded by two big bodies of water, namely the Manila Bay and the Navotas-Malabon River and as such, the city is most vulnerable to severe flooding risks during typhoons, heavy monsoon rains and tidal inundations.
Tiangco credited the KaMaNaVA (Kaloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela) Flood Control Project bankrolled and completed under the Obuchi Funds, named after the late Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi. Through those years, the mayor cited the project done according to design and specifications, have lessened flood damages and helped improve the living conditions of his constituents who are living in low-lying areas through the construction of a ring-dike system and several pumping stations.
He noted that the initiative was one of the foreign-assisted projects (FAP) secured during the administration of former president Joseph ‘Erap’ Estrada with the state visit of Obuchi in our country on November 27, 1999. Japan pledged to extend PhP15.3 billion (39.5 billion yen) in loans to the Philippines through the Special Yen Loans Facility. Called as the KaMaNaVa Flood Control and Drainage System Improvement Project, it received approximately PhP3,464 million (8,929 million yen).
“Flood control is very personal to me. This project reduced flooding in Navotas from 160 days a year to just three to five days. But with climate change, we need to ensure our defenses are stronger,” Tiangco pointed out as he thanked President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. (PBBM) for ordering the DPWH) to look for funds in the rehabilitation of this project.
He recalled this directive was issued to public works secretary Manuel ‘Manny’ Bonoan during the President’s inspection visit in Navotas after the most recent flooding caused by three successive typhoons that visited the country one after the other made worse by habagat season.
However, since the Navotas floodgate was completed in 2003, Tiangco disclosed that its repeated breakdowns is now causing renewed flooding.
On record, the last breakdown was on May 12 the current year when a fishing vessel and four tugboats accidentally rammed and damaged the gate. Thus, he urged the DPWH to study the rehabilitation of his city’s flood control system and the possible construction of a second navigational floodgate to prevent widespread flooding.