Arroyo makes surprise visits to Manggahan Floodway, Napindan Spillway to check their water levels

By Aytch S. de la Cruz

11/01/2009

President Arroyo visited the Manggahan Floodway and Napindan Spillway to make brief inspections on their water levels which served as her lone activity for the whole stormy Saturday.

Both these water channels overflowed last Sept. 26 when tropical storm “Ondoy” dumped the heaviest rainfall on Metro Manila in the last 40 years and contributed to the massive flooding of large tracts of Marikina and Pasig; whereupon Arroyo was prodded to make such visits accompanied by Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and Press Secretary Cerge Remonde.

Remonde said the President already ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways, through its acting Secretary Vic Domingo, to immediately conduct clearing operations and sandbagging so as to avert the potential increase of the water levels in these waterways.

Arroyo reportedly inspected the Napindan channel from a makeshift bamboo ramp in Barangay Napindan and from a bridge overlooking washed away homes and water lilies in Lupang Arenda which connects the floodway and the spillway.

With these images in mind, Remonde relayed that Arroyo has already given orders to Vice President Noli de Castro, who heads the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), to also give priority to the reconstruction of the households washed off by floods.

Moreover, the President was also said to have personally met with some barangay officials and other local authorities, urging them to disseminate information and advices to their town mates not to immediately go back to their houses, especially if these are located in danger zones.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) has deployed rescue teams and facilities from different defense and police agencies to Regions IV-A, III and V as well as Metro Manila where storm “Santi” was said to have crossed between dawn of Saturday and Sunday.

NDCC Chairman and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the Philippine National Police-National Capital Region would ensure the timely arrival of food caravans and other rescue assets to their intended destinations, the evacuation centers. “As much as possible, we will stop the giving of relief goods on the streets,” he said.

Since there are enough relief items in Northern Luzon, NDCC would also “augment the relief items for the South, particularly in the Bicol region and other parts of Southern Luzon,” Teodoro said.

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