Navotas prepares for La Niña-spawned floods

The municipal government of Navotas has mobilized its offices to ensure that mitigating measures are in place before the La Niña phenomenon hits the country.

In a regular meeting with department heads, Mayor Toby Tiangco said all flood-prone areas in this coastal town must be fully safeguarded, particularly by way of constructing more pumping stations.

"We need to take advantage of the relatively good weather we have now to clear up and de-clog the rivers, waterways and canals. We will need all the help of concerned citizens to ensure the success of this undertaking," said Tiangco.

Among the major projects being completed by the Engineering Office are the clearing and improvement of the drainage systems in preparation for the full operation of the dikes and the "Babansi Bombastik Pumping Station."

The pumping station is the seventh facility in the municipality and is located in Barangay North Bay Boulevard South (NBBS), the biggest and most populous barangay in the town. There are other pumping stations in Bangkulasi, Sipac-Almacen, Vadeo Dos and Tanza.

Other pumping stations are expected to be operational by the end of May in Daanghari, San Rafael and Tangco.

Municipal Engineer Miguel Soriano said his office has already declogged some 85 percent of the town’s major waterways as of April 30. Soriano also reported that road and sidewalk repair, restoration and clearing are currently underway.

Tiangco has made flood-mitigation a priority of his administration since he assumed office.

"By addressing the perennial flood problem, the scourge of Navotas, we will be able to generate and sustain a lively economic activity regardless of the heavy rains and the high tide," said Tiangco.