Speaker Martin Romualdez (2nd from left) joins the ocular inspection of the damaged Tangos-Tanza Navigational Gate and Pumping Station in Navotas City on Thursday afternoon. (Speaker’s office)

House Speaker Martin Romualdez has highlighted the need to immediately repair the damaged Navotas City floodgate, given its impact on flood control in the entire metropolis. 

“The recent typhoon exposed critical weaknesses in our infrastructure, and the damaged Navotas floodgate significantly worsened flooding in Metro Manila. Immediate action is essential,” Romualdez said in a statement Friday, July 26. 

“We must immediately allocate the necessary funds to repair and reinforce the gate to withstand future typhoons and protect our communities,” said the Speaker, who gave the instruction to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co. 

Romualdez issued this directive after inspecting the Tangos-Tanza Navigational Gate with Co, Senior Deputy Speaker Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., Navotas City lone district Rep. Toby Tiangco, Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiangco, and others. 

Upon the request of Rep. Tiangco, the House Speaker visited Navotas on Thursday, July 25 after conducting relief operations in the cities of Quezon and San Juan. 

Earlier in the day, President Marcos conducted his own inspection at the gate and instructed the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to expedite repairs. 

“The President has rightly pointed out the urgent need to fix the Navotas floodgate. We in the House will ensure the necessary funds are available without delay,” Romualdez said. 

Rep. Tiangco insisted that the Tangos-Tanza Navigational Gate could have prevented severe flooding in Navotas and surrounding areas at the height of Typhoon Carina. 

Navotas operates 81 pumping stations, but the gate was damaged by a barge last June, leading to increased flooding. This damage allows seawater to enter communities during high tide, reducing the effectiveness of the pumping stations. 

"In 2009, despite having only 24 Bombastik stations, we controlled flooding during Typhoon Ondoy," Rep. Tiangco noted. 
 

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"The current issue is the damaged floodgate, which was designed to prevent seawater from entering during high tide. Without a functioning floodgate, even our 81 pumping stations can't manage the flooding," he added. 

Rep. Tiangco earlier disclosed that he was collaborating with the MMDA to pursue legal action against the company responsible for the barge incident. The MMDA, which operates the floodgates, estimates that full repairs might take until August. 

“This incident has caused significant suffering for the affected families, and we are discussing potential cases with the MMDA. The barge's forced entry, despite warnings, was not accidental,” he added. 

Rep. Tiangco said that while the pumping stations are operational, they cannot mitigate flooding without the floodgates blocking seawater. 

“Repairs to the floodgate have begun, but progress has been slowed by recent typhoons. This situation could have been avoided if the vessel had not forced its way into the floodgate,” Rep. Tiangco pointed out.