Stagnant floodwaters pose health hazard in Valenzuela

MANILA, Philippines - A Valenzuela City councilor said yesterday that foul-smelling stagnant floodwaters leaking from breached dikes in the city’s common boundary with neighboring Meycauayan pose a health hazard.

City hall officials have confirmed that though the responsibility lies with Meycauayan, they have cooperated with the latter to quickly repair the collapsed dikes.

Alvin Feliciano, also Barangay Arkong Bato chairman and president of Valenzuela Liga ng mga Barangay, told The STAR that 12 barangays including Tagalag, Coloong, Bisig, Malanday, Pasolo, Balangkas, Wawang Polo, Poblacion, Palasan, Pariancillo Villa and his own barangay, are still submerged in stagnant water.

Feliciano claimed many residents are suffering from respiratory diseases and skin infections. He said the floodwaters should have already receded by this time but because of the broken dike – the biggest breach was measured at 500 meters – the 12 barangays remain flooded.

Feliciano said water pumped out by Valenzuela’s three pumping stations in the area simply returns to the barangays because of the collapsed portion of the dike in Longos, Meycauayan.

“The water simply runs around us when pumped out,” said Feliciano.

Marither Menia, city information chief, told The STAR the city health office has sent an adequate supply of needed medicines, particularly for water-borne diseases, to the health centers in the area. She said a medical mission is being readied in the next few days.

Menia said Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian has ordered the city engineering office and allied offices to coordinate with their Meycauayan counterparts to repair the damaged portions of the collapsed dike.

She said the affected areas were “small” and compose some 20 percent of the whole city.

She also clarified there is no truth to rumors going around that the city hall is not operating the pumps and opening the floodgates to favor certain fishpen owners in the area.

“In the times we are not pumping the waters, it is because the high is coming in. If we do it at high tide, the water simply goes around since there is nothing blocking them off as the dike is broken,” Menia said.

She added that the low tide period is now shorter than the high tide so this explains why most of the time the pumps are not being operated. “It will mean a big waste of effort, fuel and other resources if we do,” said Menia.  – Jerry Botial