Makati completes improvement of 649.7 kilometers of drainage

MANILA, Philippines - Makati City's Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) has completed the repair and improvement of 649.7 kilometers of drainage from last year until last month, the city government has reported.

According to the DEPW, the drainage improvement project covered 631.94 kilometers in 2013 and another 17.76 kilometers in the first four months of the year.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay said he has ordered the DEPW to step up the repair and installation of new concrete pipes on the city’s drainage system, particularly in flood-prone streets in low-lying barangays, to prevent floods and further hasten the receding time of floods.

“Although it may not be possible to totally prevent floods in low-lying areas when the rains come, improved drainage will allow floods to recede faster. As of last year, we already noted faster receding time of floodwaters from 10 to 15 minutes, whereas before it took about 30 minutes to an hour,” Binay said.

The city engineering department has reported that as of April, it had completed land improvement projects consisting of drainage improvement, concreting and concrete reblocking in 16 barangays in both districts. It had also completed improvement and dredging of a portion of Makati Diversion Channel spanning the barangays of San Lorenzo, Bel-Air and San Antonio.

Improved streets in District 1 include Banuyo St. (San Antonio), streets of Guanzon, Guerrero, Palma Ext., San Agustin and Cardona, and a portion of Makati Avenue (Poblacion), portion of Cagayan St. (Kasilawan), Taliba St. (Olympia), Davila St. (La Paz/Tejeros), and portion of Batangas St. and Zapote St. (San Isidro/Sta. Cruz/Olympia).

In District 2, engineering works had been completed in Jacinto St. (Guadalupe Nuevo), Diamond and Acacia Sts. (Pembo), Bluboz Extn. and Aguila St. (Rizal), portion of Napindan Site, 5th St./Burgos and 7th St./Dagohoy (West Rembo), 31st Ave., 22nd Ave. Alley, 14th Ave., Zone 4 Alley (bet. Masagana and Mahinhin), and 14th Ave. Zone 2 (East Rembo), portion of Block 50-51 St., Zamora St., and Col. P. Santos St. (South Cembo), portion of Palawan St. (Pitogo). Meanwhile, work on Santol Alley in Cembo is 98 percent complete to date.

Last year, the DEPW improved a total of 631.94 kilometers of drainage in 1,127 streets. Improvement of the remaining open canal in 33 streets in district 2, with a total length of 2.588 kilometers, is scheduled for completion this year.

Meanwhile, the DEPW also reported the completion of road improvement projects in six barangays during the first quarter of the year. Improved were Mitra Compound Alley in Singkamas, Boni Serrano St. in West Rembo, Emerald Extension and Interior in Pembo, Facundo St. in Valenzuela, and Narra St. in Cembo.