The city government of Manila, led by Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada, has completed repairing and upgrading a strategic but flood-prone street within the University Belt area to lessen the suffering of the public, especially students, during the rainy season.
Padre Campa Street, from A. Mendoza Street to España Boulevard, was rehabilitated through a P9.6-million fund approved by Estrada, part of his P2.5-billion road and drainage infrastructure projects in 2016 under the city’s Department of Engineering and Public Works.
“Whenever it rains hard, the public suffer—motorists and commuters, especially students. While we may not be able to totally prevent flooding in this area, at least we can have the floodwaters subside quickly,” Estrada said.
Among the prominent schools in the España section of the “U-Belt” is the University of Santo Tomas, Far Eastern University and the University of the East, which combined have thousands of students traversing or living in this area.
The DEPW bid out the P. Campa Project on Feb. 11, 2016 and was recently completed.
Manila has been beset with floods since the city is literally a catch basin for floodwaters from adjacent cities during heavy downpours.
In his first three years in office, Estrada has secured P1.7 billion worth of projects from the Department of Public Works and Highways, with most of the infrastructure directed at solving the decades-old flooding problem of the country’s capital.
Estrada’s administration also recently completed P1.086 billion in flood control and drainage system projects.
The DEPW said as it repairs and upgrades roads and existing drainage lines, it always replaces old drainage pipes with new ones. It also constructs catch basins and manholes for certain drainage systems.
The road rehabilitation involves the grade raising of the concrete pavement, so that floodwaters will flow efficiently into the national sewage system.
DEPW said all its new roads and drainages are designed and constructed to last from 10 to 15 years, depending on wear and tear.