The Marikina City local government turned over on Tuesday, July 19, several vehicles and equipment to two of its sub-branches tasked in maintaining and rehabilitating the city's parks and waterways.
During the turnover ceremony, Marikina City Mayor Marcelino "Marcy" Teodoro, together with other city government officials, led the turnover of the vehicles and equipment which include a dump truck, crane, and service vehicle for the use of the River Park Authority and Parks Development Office.
The city government had earlier vowed that it would continue the rehabilitation of its creeks and waterways to mitigate flooding during the rainy season.
Teodoro also emphasized the importance of a local government unit (LGU) having its own equipment and machinery to continue the delivery of quick and efficient service to its citizens, especially during natural disasters and clean-up programs.
“Bukod sa mahalaga ang may sariling kagamitan, importante rin ang functionality o gamit ng isang kasangkapan upang masulit ang serbisyo nito (Aside from the fact that each LGU must have its own equipment and machinery, it is also vital to understand its functionality for it to be used efficiently),” Teodoro said.
“Halimbawa nito ang sariling long-arm backhoe at dump trucks ng Pamahalaang Lungsod na bukod sa ginagamit sa tuloy-tuloy na pagpapalalim at pagpapalapad ng Marikina River, ito rin ang ginagamit sa paglilinis sa mas maliit na daluyan ng tubig tulad ng creek na nasa Lilac Bridge sa Brgy. Concepcion Dos dahil may kakayahan ang mga kagamitang ito na pumasok sa mas maliit na kalsada kung kinakailangan (An example of this are the long-arm backhoe and dump trucks of the city government which are being used in the excavation and widening of the Marikina River. These are also being used in cleaning the small waterways such as the creek located at the Lilac Bridge in Brgy. Concepcion Dos because the machinery has the capability to enter small streets if needed),” he added.
On February 17, dredging operations of the Marikina River by Task Force Build Back Better (TF BBB) were announced which includes the widening of the scope of the river and the planting of bamboo trees to mitigate the erosion of the riverbanks.