Worried About the Rainy Season ? MMDA Comes to The Rescue

MANILA: Amidst these chaotic times, with wars plaguing the Middle East and crimes becoming as frequent as ever there are only a few things that can restore your faith in humanity. Same can be said about the recent display of heroics by MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) when responding to public complaints. We have already heard about the rising crime wave in the Philippines last couple of months, where the governmental authority was instrumental in bringing wrongdoers to justice. This time, they’ve taken their chivalry to whole new level by making some solid preparations for the oncoming rainy season to ensure safety for people. This included an all-year round maintenance and clearing of any canals, waterways and drains to ensure they don’t clog when rains hit this year.

The maintainence project named as the ‘Estro Blitz’ (cool name) was announced by the Flood Control and Sewerage Management Office (FCSMO), which operates under MMDA. According to their director Mr. Baltzar Melgar (cool name again), this task will be done all year round to keep Metropolitan Manila from flooding during rains and prevent any traffic discrepancies for commuters and motorists. This also includes 54 pumping stations that have been installed with new pumps, in case the flooding gets out of hand. According to Mr. Melgar, these new pumps can drain around 350 drums of water in a second. Although we don’t know if that’s a lot, but it certainly sounds a lot and we trust MMDA on this.

The maintenance and declogging task will include all the drains, esteros, creeks and canals that lead to the flood sensitive Manila bay. This will not only ensure safety during rainy seasons, but will also be instrumental in reducing mosquitoes and pests that become a menace during these times. As Manila is pretty close to the sea level, flooding in the streets becomes a major problem, leading to a lot of inconvenience for motorists and commuters alike. Not to mention the unhygienic conditions that stagnant water create, becoming breeding ground for mosquitoes and flies adding to the list of troubles. This task by Metro Manila Development Authority certainly proves that you don’t always need to look at the skies for a sign of hope.

Also Read: MMDA Releases List of Discredited Towing Vehicles To Curb Scams