00:00 [Sounds of heavy rain]
00:10 Whenever there is a strong storm, it is usually followed by heavy flooding.
00:15 [Sounds of heavy rain]
00:21 But now, even with a few minutes of rain,
00:25 [Sounds of heavy rain]
00:28 there are places in the country that are already drowning in flood.
00:31 [Sounds of heavy rain]
00:35 Last week, after more than half an hour of rain,
00:39 [Sounds of heavy rain]
00:41 a river overflowed under Balintawak Underpass in Quezon City.
00:45 [Sounds of heavy rain]
00:47 There is no vehicle that can pass over the water.
00:50 [Sounds of heavy rain]
00:51 A motorist just picked up his motorcycle to cross the river.
00:54 [Sounds of heavy rain]
00:55 In this picture taken in Barangay Botocan, Quezon City,
00:59 only a car can see the river.
01:02 [Sounds of heavy rain]
01:05 This part of the Sentryist in Quezon City,
01:08 which is above the water, was not able to cross the river.
01:10 [Sounds of heavy rain]
01:13 In this part of 4th Avenue in Caloocan City,
01:16 the barricades were seen being flooded.
01:21 [Sounds of heavy rain]
01:22 In the CCTV footage we found from MMDA,
01:27 the water level rose in some streets within 30 minutes.
01:32 [Sounds of heavy rain]
01:34 Just like the video taken in Araneta Avenue in Quezon City,
01:38 the water level rose slowly,
01:40 making the roads heavy with traffic.
01:43 [Sounds of heavy rain]
01:44 This is also the situation in this part of Spain, in Manila.
01:48 At 6 in the evening, it started to rain.
01:52 [Sounds of heavy rain]
01:53 After more than 30 minutes,
01:55 some cars avoided the flooded road.
02:01 [Sounds of heavy rain]
02:02 Cars also avoided the flooding
02:06 in this part of EDSA in Camp Aguinaldo.
02:09 [Sounds of heavy rain]
02:12 In the town of San Simon in Pampanga,
02:14 after the rain, a flood control project was started.
02:19 [Sounds of heavy rain]
02:25 What is the cause of the rapid flooding of some areas in Metro Manila
02:29 and other parts of the country?
02:31 [Sounds of heavy rain]
02:34 [Music]
02:40 In the whole of Central Luzon, the province of Pampanga is considered
02:44 the catchment basin of flood water.
02:46 [Sounds of heavy rain]
02:47 Catchment basin is called the lowest part of a place
02:50 where rainwater is collected, or water from the mountains.
02:56 [Music]
02:57 That's why some flood control projects were carried out in the whole province.
03:01 One of them is the construction of a river wall in San Simon, Pampanga.
03:05 [Music]
03:06 The problem is not yet solved, and two days before the declaration of completion date,
03:13 the project was already completed.
03:16 Someone posted on social media about a flood control project
03:20 in San Simon, Pampanga on June 19.
03:22 This is his social media post.
03:25 That's why we are here in San Simon, Pampanga now,
03:27 to evaluate this project.
03:29 This is the chart of the flood control project.
03:33 It is stated here in detail that the contract cost is more than P140 million.
03:40 If their timetable was followed, the project should have been completed by June 21 this year.
03:47 [Music]
03:49 The length of the concrete river wall is 300 meters,
03:52 and the length of the part that is being built is 95 meters.
03:56 The strong winds in the barangay were heard between 2 to 3 o'clock in the morning.
04:03 The water was flowing through the market.
04:07 [Music]
04:09 The river wall is supposed to stop the erosion of the land on the side of the Pampanga River.
04:14 The water is gradually eating the land, especially when the water is strong.
04:20 [Music]
04:21 This will also serve as a barrier so that the water does not flow into the river whenever it rains heavily.
04:27 DPWH approved the construction of this riprap because the road is running out of water.
04:33 Aside from that, it is also a solution to the flood here in the town of San Simon.
04:36 Because every time the water of the river rises,
04:40 some barangays in this town are drowning in the flood.
04:44 [Music]
04:45 In this video that was shot in 2016 in the same place, in San Simon, Pampanga,
04:50 you can see that the entire area is covered in water.
04:53 Of course, we are smiling and we are hoping that this will end.
04:58 [Music]
05:00 First of all, our road will be better.
05:03 Then, it will have slope protection. It will not be flooded again.
05:07 What is the effect of the lack of riprap?
05:11 It will delay our hope that our road will be better.
05:16 [Music]
05:22 That day, we caught up with Maileen driving her tricycle beside the river wall.
05:28 [Music]
05:29 Her two children followed her from school.
05:33 [Music]
05:34 The part of the river wall is white, so it is difficult to pass.
05:39 [Music]
05:40 Their road was also affected by the river wall.
05:44 If it rains heavily, they will commute to that place.
05:48 They will walk.
05:50 [Music]
05:54 According to Maileen's eldest daughter, Stephanie,
05:57 they heard that the flood control project was stopped.
06:00 What did you think when you saw that the project was stopped?
06:04 I was shocked.
06:06 [Music]
06:08 If it rains heavily, you cannot pass. You will be forced to walk there until you reach school.
06:14 The road is damaged. Our shoes are always white.
06:21 Sometimes, our clothes get dirty.
06:23 When we go to school, we get angry with our teacher. We are late.
06:30 [Music]
06:32 Their dream of a safe and proper road should have been completed by June 21, 2018,
06:38 but it is still not fulfilled.
06:40 What should we do? It is damaged again.
06:42 We don't know how it was damaged.
06:45 The construction workers are teaching us.
06:51 [Music]
06:53 According to DPWH Region 3, which is the implementing agency of the project,
06:58 [Music]
07:00 the water pipes under the project are the reason for the construction.
07:04 When you investigated, why did you give the water pipes?
07:06 The water pipes were saturated.
07:08 It was saturated.
07:10 Because of the...
07:12 The water was already wet.
07:14 It was already submerged in the water.
07:16 Because there was a pipe under it.
07:18 There was a leak in that portion.
07:20 Where is the pipe, ma'am?
07:22 It is in front of me. It is already hidden.
07:25 They cut it.
07:28 They cut it because when we saw it, the contractor cut it immediately
07:34 because we were surprised that the water pipes were already wet.
07:38 Did you have any accident here?
07:40 I don't know any accident because I just change my water pipes everyday.
07:46 But did you have any wrong doing?
07:50 I didn't see anything.
07:52 I didn't see anything.
07:54 According to a structural engineer that we talked to,
07:58 the project was just started and the contractor and DPWH
08:03 assured that there is no obstruction in the construction of the flood control project.
08:07 The plans must be properly reviewed by the contractor or by the original structural engineer
08:16 to make sure that after spending again that big amount,
08:20 the risk of the same problem will happen again.
08:24 I also noticed that for a 90-meter stretch, over a 300-meter length of work,
08:33 the effect of the flood on the waterline is very big.
08:37 Maybe 10 meters or less can be effective.
08:40 But not for the stretch of 90 meters which is about one-third of the whole project.
08:49 DPWH Region 3 insisted that the agency and the contractor studied thoroughly
08:55 before starting the project.
08:57 Did the contractor neglect the project?
09:00 They didn't neglect it.
09:02 They followed our instructions and they followed the specifications based on the plan.
09:06 Their pipe is already next to our DQ.
09:11 We don't notice it. If there is a problem, we will transfer it.
09:14 How much did you pay the contractor?
09:17 60%.
09:19 60% of the 140 million pesos was already paid by the contractor.
09:24 The companies, 3rd Star Builders and DL Cervantes Construction, are the contractors of this project.
09:33 We tried to get their permission to know why the river wall collapsed in the middle of the construction.
09:42 But the spokesperson of the companies said that they submitted a report to DPWH Region 3 about the collapse.
09:50 DPWH Region 3 assured that the contractors will pay the expenses for the repair of the damaged flood control project.
10:00 They will construct at their own expense.
10:04 We will not give them a single cent.
10:07 This means that there is no need for an additional budget.
10:10 How long will it take before the repair is completed?
10:13 One to two months.
10:15 We also visited another river wall in Mandulog River in Iligan City, Mindanao.
10:22 DPWH Region 10 is the agency that carried out the project since 2015, the time of the previous administration.
10:33 According to the completion report from DPWH, the flood control dike was constructed in the Chamna Bahagi or Faces.
10:40 The fund is one billion pesos for the construction of these ripraps in Mandulog River.
10:46 The ripraps are needed so that the water from the river will not overflow.
10:51 But the flood control dike looks like it's broken or cracked if you look at the aerial footage.
11:01 The completion of that project is more or less 70%.
11:06 The remaining 30% is the road right of way that we are negotiating until now.
11:16 Some are not cooperating and the documents are not yet complete.
11:21 That's why it will take a long time to settle the repair.
11:27 According to the study of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau,
11:31 there are 400 barangays that are considered highly susceptible to flooding or flood prone.
11:37 In Metro Manila, the main flood control project is the pumping station.
11:43 The design of these is from the canals, estuary and other waterways.
11:48 The water should be directed to the pumping station before it is taken out to the rivers like Pasig River,
11:55 Paranaque River, San Juan River until the water in Manila Bay is completely taken out.
12:01 In other parts of Metro Manila, the water is directed to the Mangahan Floodway
12:08 that will bring water to Laguna Dibay that serves as a water reservoir.
12:13 In total, the pumping station in Manila is about 52.
12:22 The question is, why despite the existence of these, the flood still continues?
12:27 According to the urban planner, Paolo Alcazaren,
12:33 the waterways in Metro Manila are outdated.
12:37 The capacity of these is only 15 millimeters of flood water.
12:41 But the rainwater last Thursday, for example, reached 85 millimeters.
12:47 We really need to be equal in the level of development and to project the level of development,
12:54 type of development, complexity, and density of development.
12:58 How many housing units in the condominium complex?
13:05 Before, the area was supported by 20 families, now it's 2,000.
13:12 These are our waterways, clean and used for transport.
13:18 The movement of goods and people is by canal, like Venice.
13:24 Bernham said that our waterways are like the canals of Venice.
13:30 What happened? We poured our canals,
13:34 they were filled with water, made it realistic, and our drainage system was lost.
13:41 Our other pumps are 30 years old, but they are still operational, maintained by the MDA.
13:49 But our old pumps, although operational,
13:53 we cannot ensure the efficiency of 100 percent because of old age.
13:59 So, it's scheduled to be rehabilitated.
14:06 The waterways are outdated, and there are still many obstructions.
14:11 First, the garbage dump.
14:14 One of our goals back then was this part of the San Juan River in Calentong, Mandaluyong City.
14:21 Here in the river, all kinds of garbage you can think of are scattered.
14:26 This is the literal garbage river.
14:30 The situation here is not far from the Estero de Magdalena in Santa Cruz, Manila.
14:35 The Estero is almost completely covered in garbage.
14:39 Of course, you will clean it now.
14:43 When you come back tomorrow, there will be a lot of garbage.
14:46 It will be repeated.
14:48 Another reason for the waterways to be blocked are the informal settlers living on the side.
14:56 When they need to pee, they pee here.
15:00 They do it here, but the waterfalls are in the Estero.
15:05 According to the law, there should be no infrastructure or house on any waterway within 15 to 20 meters.
15:14 But it is clear that in other places in Manila, this is not followed.
15:19 It's not just the informal ones who throw garbage.
15:23 Even the formal settlers and establishments are thrown there
15:27 because there is no policing, no fines, and we don't have a carrot and stick for them.
15:35 People have no sense of civic consciousness.
15:39 They throw garbage and think that there is no repercussion, but there is.
15:43 At present, more than 100,000 families live in the so-called waterways like this,
15:53 which are also considered as danger zones.
15:57 When it comes to pumping stations like this one in Pasay, Navotas, and Manila,
16:03 garbage dumps are still a problem.
16:06 That's why the waterways are almost not moving.
16:09 Our informal settlers are standing on water, not just on cement.
16:15 Aside from that, their solid waste is directly and indiscriminately dumped in the waterways.
16:25 Aside from pumping stations,
16:31 one of the biggest flood control projects in Metro Manila is the Blue Mintrip Flood Interceptor Project.
16:37 This is a catchment area that is adjacent to the floodwater in Quezon City and Manila.
16:43 But until now, it is not yet completed.
16:47 The worst part is the rain that fell last Thursday.
16:53 Most of the rain falls in Quezon City and Manila.
16:57 Aside from the problems that flood control projects in Metro Manila face,
17:06 another one that Alcazaren is talking about, which is the flood disaster,
17:10 is the overdevelopment in Manila.
17:12 The supply, drainage, and power should be proportioned to the intensity of development.
17:19 That is the problem.
17:23 Local authorities want more intensive development because that is a sign of improvement in their cities.
17:31 But there is a need for infrastructure to support them.
17:37 If only here, the development is improved,
17:41 the problem will be thrown away in the surrounding development.
17:45 That is why you need coordination with adjoining LGUs and with the region.
17:50 But the water is entering.
17:52 One of Alcazaren's suggestions is to use the so-called purview cement for the roads in Metro Manila.
18:00 So, all that water can enter the cistern or it can enter the gravel bed.
18:09 Under the Metro Manila Flood Control Management Project,
18:12 the government of the Philippines will borrow 500 million dollars from the World Bank
18:18 and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank for the construction of various projects
18:22 to solve the flood problem.
18:25 Like the construction of a dam in the Upper Marikina River Catchment Area,
18:29 improvement of urban drainage, modernization of Metro Manila pumping stations,
18:35 and improvement of flood forecasting.
18:37 All the projects and programs that we will implement in Metro Manila
18:42 are consumed by the Flood Management Master Plan of Metro Manila.
18:47 The purpose of this project is to modernize the drainage area in the priority flood prone areas of Metro Manila.
18:56 In the report released by the Commission on Audit for the MMDA last year,
19:01 from 2014 to 2016, the total project cost of flood control and sewage projects in the National Capital Region reached almost 800 million pesos.
19:13 And from 2014 to 2016, the total cost of flood control projects reached 168 million pesos
19:22 that were not completed within specific contract time and required completion date.
19:27 [Music]
19:31 In many flood prone areas in the country,
19:34 the cost of flood control projects is also a million pesos.
19:39 The problem is that sometimes, the projects are not effective.
19:45 Or it is not destroyed, not even affected.
19:49 Until next Thursday, I am Mackie Pulido.
19:53 I am Jun Veneracion and this is what's on our Reporter's Notebook.
19:58 [MUSIC PLAYING]
Comments