Marikina City Mayor Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro vowed to continue supporting and maintaining the rehabilitation and restoration of the Marikina River, calling it a “generational effort”.
The mayor made his commitment during a turnover ceremony held on Wednesday, March 9, in Barangay Sta. Elena, Marikina City.
The event was led by Teodoro and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Acting Secretary Jim Sampulna.
During the ceremony, the Marikina local government and the Task Force Build Back Better (TF BBB) turned over the responsibilities of the dredging activities of the Marikina River Restoration Project (MRRP) -- particularly the portion from Andres Bonifacio bridge to the Manggahan floodway -- to the Flood Control Management Cluster of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Unified Project Management Office (UPMO).
“Magtutuloy-tuloy ang ating mga ginagawa para sa ating kalikasan...Nakita natin kung paano bumalik ‘yung ecology natin dito (We will continue our projects that will benefit the environment...We have seen the rebirth of our ecology ,” Teodoro said.
He said they have assigned point persons to guard and oversee the river in order to protect it. They have also implemented local ordinances to facilitate the right and correct maintenance of the river.
“Ang Marikina River Restoration Project ay isang mahalagang accomplishment at critical intervention. patunay na ang role of government, a society-approach, is an effective solution (The Marikina restoration project is a significant accomplishment and a critical intervention. It is proof that using a society-approach in the role of government is an effective solution),” Teodoro added.
The 11-km long river stretches to 11 out of the 16 barangays in the city. There are communities with a population of around 13,000 residing by the riverside.
However, Teodoro assured that structures are no longer occupying the easement areas of the river.
He thanked the DENR, the DPWH, and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for aiding the local government in the dredging activities such as providing technical services, specifications, and adequate equipment.
Teodoro suggested the clustering and collaboration of resources between the local governments of Marikina, Pasig, and Quezon City, as well as engaging with various government agencies and development workers.
The mayor noted the impact and importance of these activities in order to prevent flash flooding in the areas of Marikina City, Pasig City, and Quezon City especially during typhoon season.
“In the aftermath of Ulysses, we personally witnessed, experienced how destructive a natural calamity such as a typhoon can do to a community...We will “build back better”, meaning more resilient, and more sustainable community,” Teodoro said.
Dredging operations of the Marikina River by TF BBB were announced on Feb. 17, 2021. They included widening the scope of the river, and planting bamboo trees to mitigate erosion of the riverbanks.
The TF BBB turned over the project to the Marikina local government on July 21, 2021, according to the DPWH.