MANILA (Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network): Remove all pumping stations in Metro Manila and the entire capital region will submerge, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) told senators on Wednesday (Aug 9).
Acting MMDA chairman Romando Artes said this in a Senate hearing after Senator Cynthia Villar questioned his claim that all 71 pumping stations under the agency’s supervision are 100 percent operational.
According to Villar, there is a pumping station that is malfunctioning and blocking a river between Las Pinas and Paranaque cities. She said that instead of pumping water, it is collecting garbage and causing floods in the area.
“We couldn’t clean the river because it blocked it then it’s neglected; there are many informal settlers in the river. So I’m questioning that idea of a pumping station because many people have told us that in Metro Manila the problem is your pumping station, instead of pumping the water, it’s getting the garbage, it’s malfunctioning,” she said.
“So instead of helping, it’s detrimental...” the senator also said during the hearing of a joint panel in the Senate, investigating the flooding in many parts of the country.
Senator Bong Revilla, who was presiding over the hearing, then asked government officials present if there are other solutions to the flooding problem aside from using pumping stations.
“Do you think there is another solution to handle that flood?” Revilla asked.
“The whole Metro Manila will submerge if we remove all the pumping stations,” Artes answered.
The acting MMDA chair, however, later informed the panel that they are not operating a pumping station in the Las Pinas-Paranaque river.
“What am I, crazy? What are you doing, why don’t you want to admit it,” Villar said.
She later said the pumping station is probably with the MMDA or the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“What am I, imagining?” Villar further asked.
Artes consequently clarified his statement, saying he did not accuse the senator of imagining things. He insisted though that the MMDA has no pumping station in the Las Piñas-Parañaque river.
Villar nevertheless demanded concerned authorities to remove the pumping station in the area.
“Because it’s blocking, all the more we could not clean the river. The homeowners blame me for not doing anything to clean the river," she said.
