The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Following the deadly onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Crising and the intensified southwest monsoon, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Atty. Romando “Don” Artes has called for the urgent crafting of a long-term drainage master plan to overhaul Metro Manila’s decades-old flood control system.
“Our current system is over 50 years old. It’s time we invest in sustainable solutions before disasters become deadlier,” Artes said, after floodwaters caused widespread devastation last week.
The storm left at least 12 people dead—10 from drowning and two crushed by a falling tree trunk—while damages reached P4 billion in infrastructure and P217 million in agriculture.
Just as alarming: more than 600 tons of garbage were collected from city streets and waterways, including broken appliances, furniture, plastic waste, and even tree trunks that clogged crucial drainage systems.
Post-storm data from MMDA revealed that 526.8 tons of waste were cleared from 71 pumping stations, while another 76.9 tons were hauled from neighborhoods near creeks that overflowed.
Artes warned that plastic and large debris can stall pump motors, causing overheating and equipment failure, and called for immediate upgrades to ensure long-term resilience.
While all pumping stations remain operational, Artes stressed that without modernization and proper waste disposal, Metro Manila will continue to face life-threatening floods during heavy rains.
He urged residents—especially those near rivers and creeks—to stop dumping garbage into waterways, reminding the public that “flooding is not just caused by rain, but by our own trash, too.” TRACY CABRERA