Metro Manila Council (MMC) President and San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora called on the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and National Housing Authority (NHA) to help expedite the construction of vertical housing buildings in different parts of Metro Manila as part of a large-scale operation aimed at addressing the perennial problem of flooding in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Zamora made the statement on Tuesday, Nov. 4, after the MMC and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) agreed on the implementation of the Greater Metro Manila Waterways Clearing and Cleaning Operations on Nov. 12, which will run for nine months.

DPWH Sec. Vince Dizon explained the project is a large-scale inter-agency cleanup operation aimed at clearing waterways in Metro Manila and the nearby provinces of Rizal, Bulacan, Laguna, and Cavite of about 4 million cubic tons of garbage and other debris to ensure the continuous flow of rainwater and preventing it from accumulating and spreading to towns and cities.

The operation will involve various combined actions by the DPWH, local government units (LGUs), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and even the private sector who pledged their support for the project through the lending of heavy equipment necessary for the cleanup operation.

The repair and reactivation of unused pumping stations in Metro Manila are also included in the plan, with the MMDA set to deploy mobile pumps in flood-prone areas, Dizon said.

Part of the operation is the demolition of houses and other structures built alongside the cities' creeks and waterways that obstruct the flow of water and pose a grave threat on those living in it.

"Napagusapan po ang pagclear ng mga obstructions na kadalasan, ang mga obstruction ay mga tahanan. Upang mas makausap po natin sila at maipaliwanag na kinakailangan nilang lumipat ng kanilang tahanan sapagkat ito nga ay isa mga nagiging dahilan kung bakit nagbabaha sa iba't ibang bahagi ng lungsod, kinakailangan mayroon tayong maibigay na relocation sakanila sapagkat kung wala po silang mapapaglipatan ay magiging problema po 'yun (We discussed clearing obstructions, which are usually homes. In order for us to be able to talk to them better and explain that they need to move their homes because this is one of the reasons why various parts of the city are flooded, we need to provide them with relocation because if they don't have anything to move to, it will be a problem)," Zamora said.

"Kami po sa San Juan ay mayroong kaming staging area in connection with our Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4PH) so 'yung mga na-identify namin na mga pamilya na kasalukuyang may mga tahanang nakaharang sa ating mga daluyan ng tubig ay ililipat namin doon (We in San Juan have a staging area in connection with our National Housing for Filipinos Program so we will relocate those families we have identified who currently have homes blocking our waterways there)," he added.

Zamora stressed that the construction of vertical housing buildings in different parts of Metro Manila will serve as viable relocation sites for those who need to be evacuated from their homes near waterways and informal settlers.

"Sa Lungsod po ng San Juan, honestly, kakaunti nalang po 'yung mga pamilya na kailangan nating marelocate. Medyo masigasig tayo sa pagsunod sa Supreme Court mandamus kung saan kinakailangan na mayroon kang three-meter easement wall from creeks and 10-meter easement wall from rivers (In the City of San Juan, honestly, we only have a few families that we need to relocate. We are quite diligent in complying with the Supreme Court mandamus which requires you to have a three-meter easement wall from creeks and a 10-meter easement wall from rivers)," the mayor said.

"Kinakailangan lang po ng DSHUD at NHA makapagpagawa din ng vertical buildings. Bakit vertical? Because we don't want them to relocate sa malalayong lugar...Nadi-displace sila (DSHUD and NHA just need to be able to build vertical buildings. Why vertical? Because we don't want them to relocate to distant places...They are being displaced," he noted.

On Sept. 4, Zamora hailed the construction of the country's highest 4PH housing project in San Juan City after Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) led by President and CEO Federico Laxa gave the green light for the vertical housing project entitled "Makabagong San Juan Pambansang Pabahay, Phase 1" along F. Manalo Street in Barangay Batis.

The Makabagong San Juan has 34 floors and will provide safe, decent, and affordable housing for over 1,000 member-beneficiaries from the city of San Juan.

The building will also have commercial shops, parking facilities, a swimming pool, and a basketball court.