The government is spending P23.5 billion to help manage flooding in Metro Manila, the public works department said on Thursday, after getting support from the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office Operations and Technical Services Emil K. Sadain said the government has finalized plans to expedite the implementation of the Metro Manila Flood Management Project.
The whole program aims to modernize and improve drainage capacity of Metro Manila by rehabilitating and modernizing 36 old pumping stations, construct 30 new pumping stations; minimize solid waste in waterways; and prioritize housing and resettlement of squatters living along waterways.
Sadain said the “procurement activities for Batch 1 of Metro Manila Flood Management Project Phase 1 covering the rehabilitation and modernization of five old pumping stations is being rushed to facilitate [the] commencement of civil works.”
Last month the public works department auctioned off the contract for the Balut Pumping Station in Tondo, Manila. Meanwhile, the Vitas Pumping Station in Tondo, Manila; Paco Pumping Station in Paco, Manila; Tripa de Gallina Pumping Station in Pasay City; and Labasan Pumping Station in Taguig City are slated for international bidding starting this month until November.
Sadain added that the procurement of operation and maintenance of equipment for the pumping stations and waterways is also targeted to start by the second week of November 2018.
For its part, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has established its own project management office and special bids and awards committee “to focus on procurement activities of equipment and fast-track solid waste collection and large-scale Metro-wide information, education and communication campaign to minimize solid waste in waterways.”
“Initial assessment is also being carried out for the projects to be implemented in the subsequent years,” Sadain noted, adding that this includes the seven stations covered in the second batch of stations, namely, Balete-Ermita; Escolta; Santa Clara; Libertad; Makati; Abucay; and San Andres.
These will be implemented next year through 2020. New pumping stations of Cutcut and Romualdez will also be constructed during this period.
By 2020 the public works department will also start adding the following pumping stations, namely, Maytunas; Buhangin; Casili; Ilugin River; Isla; and Damayang Lagi. It will also rehabilitate eight existing pumping stations, namely, Santibañez, Tapayan; Taguig; Hagonoy; Hulong Duhat; Magsaysay; Herrera; and Concepcion.
Batch three will include the construction of six additional pumping stations and the rehabilitation of eight existing ones. The six are Maytunas; Buhangin; Casili; Ilugin River; Isla; and Damayang Lagi, while the eight for rehab are Santibañez, Tapayan; Taguig; Hagonoy; Hulong Duhat; Magsaysay; Herrera; and Concepcion.
By year 2021 on the fourth year of the project, six new pumping stations will constructed, namely, Del Monte; Doña Imelda; Kalusugan; Mariblo; Masambong; and Matalahib-Talayan. The government will also implement the modernization of Balot; Merville-Dampalit; Tanza; Niugan; Artex; Muzon; Acacia; and Roque.
Sadain said his agency will start on fifth year in 2022, when it will start the construction of the following stations: Progreso; Roxas; Sobrepena; Santa Cruz; Talayan; and Tatalon Pumping Stations; and the rehabilitation and the modernization of Aviles-Uliuli; Beata; Binondo-Escolta; Pandacan; Quiapo; San Agustin; Uli Uli; and Valencia Pumping Station.
Image credits: AP