Marcos inspects flooded areas in Valenzuela, Navotas

MANILA, Philippines —  President Marcos visited flooded areas in Valenzuela and Navotas yesterday, and instructed agencies to conduct focused aid distribution to ensure that resources are deployed to areas that need them the most.

After a briefing on the effects of Super Typhoon Carina at the Presidential Security Command headquarters, Marcos and some officials proceeded to the Valenzuela City command center and then boarded a military truck to check the condition of affected residents.

Accompanied by officials, the President then went to Malanday National High School, passing through Malabon before proceeding to Tanza National High School in Navotas. Along the way, they were seen distributing relief packs to residents who waded through the flood to come near the truck carrying them.

The President’s last stop was the Navotas navigational gate, which serves as a barrier during high tide. The flooding in the city worsened because the gate was damaged.

Marcos said he would list all the needs of affected areas and relay them to the budget department so funds could be released to local governments.

Repair structures

President Marcos ordered government agencies to act quickly in repairing structures damaged by massive flooding due to the southwest monsoon.

During a situation briefing at Malacañang yesterday, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) acting Chairman Romando Artes reported that 13 barges and tugboats had slammed onto the piers of the F. Manalo Bridge, which connects Barangay Manggahan in Pasig City and Barangay Bagumbayan in Quezon City.

The barges and tugboats, which still remained under the bridge, were owned by Toyo Construction Corp., which was in charge of carrying out a project of rehabilitating the Marikina River funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency or JICA, according to Artes.

The damaged bridge is currently off-limits to motorists until further notice and would be assessed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Artes also said.

DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan pointed out that the bridge has been lined up for reconstruction since “the freeboard was not really designed for barges to pass through.”

Meanwhile, around 8,905 families were evacuated from the local governments of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela due to heavy flooding brought by Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon or habagat on Wednesday.

The alert status at Marikina River was downgraded to normal after the waters receded to 14.9 meters at around 3 p.m., the local government said in a Facebook post. The water level at the river peaked at 20.7 meters on Wednesday 4:40 p.m., where the alert was at third alarm. –   Ghio Ong, Mark Ernest Villeza, Rainier Allan Ronda, Emmanuel Tupas