‘Repair of damaged Malabon-Navotas floodgate on track’

MANILA, Philippines — Repairs on the Malabon-Navotas navigational floodgate are on track after it was damaged by a barge that sailed past it last June, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) declared before the weekend.

After the damaged parts were replaced with new ones, the floodgate has been moved to close position on Aug. 24, MMDA acting Chairman Romando Artes reported.

He said the position of the floodgate enabled it to block the water coming from Manila Bay and prevent it from entering the Tangos River during high tide.

The floodgate was also moved to maintenance position, Artes added.

He said garbage gathered during flooding in the area, which covers some parts of the cities of Malabon and Navotas, must be hauled from beneath the mouth of the Tangos River where the floodgate is located.

Artes said it would take a “maximum of five days” for the trash to be collected.

He advised operators of boats and ships to avoid passing through the floodgate in the meantime to prevent it from being damaged anew.

The agency targets to complete the repair of the floodgate “before another weather disturbance arrives.”

The MMDA is also set to evaluate the amount of damage to be shouldered by the owner of the barge, depending on expenses incurred by the government to repair the floodgate.

The agency is also considering filing a complaint for reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property, pointing out that the barge sailed despite warnings from MMDA personnel operating the floodgate that it should not proceed because it was low tide.

The damage to the floodgate caused flooding in parts of Malabon and Navotas for weeks, according to reports.