San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, who also chairs the Metro Manila Council (MMC), said on Sunday that the National Capital Region’s outdated drainage system requires a thorough review to effectively tackle the ongoing flooding issues.
“The drainage system of Metro Manila is already old,” Zamora said in an interview.
” We need to study our drainage system and craft a master plan that can handle our population, current volume of rain, climate, and problems with garbage,” he added.
Citing information from Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Zamora said one person generates around one kilo of trash per day.
“If we are 15 million in Metro Manila, that’s 15 million kilos of trash (daily),” Zamora said.
The San Juan City mayor noted that these piles of garbage are usually disposed of in rivers, creeks, and drainages, causing clogging that leads to flooding.
“Some drainage systems have been built over with houses and other structures. It is important to assess all drainage systems,” Zamora said.
Last week, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority reported over 500 flood incidents in Metro Manila amid the heavy downpour brought about by the southwest monsoon or ‘habagat’ and the trough of the low pressure area (LPA).
