By Chito Chavez
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has ordered the continuous declogging of the city’s canals, the drainage system, and other waterways to minimize flooding during rainy weather.
Quezon City Mayor Belmonte (Mayor Joy Belmonte Official Facebook Page / MANILA BULLETIN)
The directive came as heavy rains were forecast for Metro Manila in the coming days.
Karl Michael E. Marasigan, head of the Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the city was spared from widespread flooding that gripped many parts of Metro Manila recently because of the nonstop clearing operations.
“The round-the-clock de-clogging of canals ordered by Mayor Joy Belmonte to take advantage of the two-week monsoon break and dredging of key waterways traversing the city since the first week of the Belmonte administration facilitated the speedy flow of rainwater in our drainage system,” Marasigan said.
Last Saturday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Science Garden Synoptic Station recorded 25.6 mm of rain from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. or an hourly rate of 8.5mm.
PAGASA also said that the concentration of Saturday’s thunderstorm was over the southern part of Metro Manila with 75.6mm of rain recorded in Makati City from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. with an hourly rate of 25.2mm, which was classified as intense.
Despite the heavy rains, there were no reports of massive flooding throughout Saturday, according to the Quezon City Emergency Operations Center.
The city’s Urban Search and Rescue Team which was placed on standby also did not receive any distress calls.
Quezon City Mayor Belmonte (Mayor Joy Belmonte Official Facebook Page / MANILA BULLETIN)
The directive came as heavy rains were forecast for Metro Manila in the coming days.
Karl Michael E. Marasigan, head of the Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the city was spared from widespread flooding that gripped many parts of Metro Manila recently because of the nonstop clearing operations.
“The round-the-clock de-clogging of canals ordered by Mayor Joy Belmonte to take advantage of the two-week monsoon break and dredging of key waterways traversing the city since the first week of the Belmonte administration facilitated the speedy flow of rainwater in our drainage system,” Marasigan said.
Last Saturday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Science Garden Synoptic Station recorded 25.6 mm of rain from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. or an hourly rate of 8.5mm.
PAGASA also said that the concentration of Saturday’s thunderstorm was over the southern part of Metro Manila with 75.6mm of rain recorded in Makati City from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. with an hourly rate of 25.2mm, which was classified as intense.
Despite the heavy rains, there were no reports of massive flooding throughout Saturday, according to the Quezon City Emergency Operations Center.
The city’s Urban Search and Rescue Team which was placed on standby also did not receive any distress calls.