'Napondohan sana': Tiangco says back-up floodgate in Navotas could've made a difference 

Navotas City lone district Rep. Toby Tiangco (leftmost), accompanies House Speaker Martin Romualdez (2nd from left) in an inspection in the city after the typhoon. (Speaker’s office)

Navotas City lone district Rep. Tobias Tiangco has underscored the need for a second floodgate in the city following the damage caused to the existing floodgate just weeks before Typhoon "Carina" and the southwest monsoon battered the country with heavy rains. 

“Government agencies should include reinforcement interventions to address potential risks, such as infrastructure damage caused by maritime-related activities," he said in a statement Saturday, July 27. 

"For example, we propose a second floodgate for the Tangos-Tanza navigational gate to provide a functional backup in case the main gate is damaged or under repair," Tiangco, a former city mayor, said. 

"Kung ito ay napondohan din, malaking tulong sana ito noong Bagyong Carina. Kahit na nasira ang main navigational gate, mayroong back-up," he noted. 

(Had this been been funded, this could've been a huge help during Typhoon Carina. Even if the main navigational gate was damaged, there would have been a back-up.) 

The existing Navotas floodgate was damaged by a barge--pulled by tugboats--that rammed it last June. 

The damaged floodgate failed to keep the seawater at bay--a problem that was exacerbated when Carina and Habagat dumped a huge amount of rainwater over the metropolis. Tiangco said the city’s 81 pumping stations couldn't handle the water volume. 

“The flooding in our city during typhoon Carina was difficult to control because of what happened to our floodgate. Were it not for the damaged floodgate, all streets would have been passable," he said. 

Speaking of the pumping stations, Tiangco highlighted another problem that contributed to the floods: garbage. 

He had previously urged Navoteños to ensure proper waste disposal after discovering that eight of the city's 81 bombastic pumping stations malfunctioned due to trash blocking drainage systems and canals in barangays. 

Tiangcp spoke on the importance of having all these local facilities working together. 

“When I became Mayor of Navotas, flood control was a key focus of our programs because it was a major problem at the time. High tides caused flooding in Navotas for 160 days a year, even during the dry season. We reduced that to an average of five days per year, with roads remaining passable on those days," he said.