THE Navotas City government plans to construct more ‘Bombastik’ pumping stations as it continues to further upgrade its practices on disaster preparedness in a determined bid to spare it from severe flooding.
This as Mayor John Rey Tiangco welcomed recently members of the Tanauan, Leyte’s Liga ng mga Barangay headed by Councilor Maria Martina Larrazabal – Gimenez who visited the Navotas Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council to learn about the city’s programs especially on disaster preparedness.
Taking pride of its synchronized programs related to its preparations in case any disaster hits the city, Mayor Tiangco told the Leyte officials about Navotas being described as one of the safest areas as what the Metro Manila Development Authority had declared after Typhoon Gener in 2012.
During the time, major roads of Navotas remain passable even at the height of the typhoon and caused no damage to public properties and facilities, he says.
One of the reasons as to how the city withstood the heavy rains and high tide was its famous ‘bombastic’ pumping station which was proposed and coined by then mayor and now Rep. Toby Tiangco who’s been hugely credited for steering the city towards unparalleled progress when he’s at the helm for more than a decade.
“The idea sprung as Rep. Tiangco in 2003 when he was still the mayor, observed how a man devised his own system of getting flood water out of his house by simply using a piece of wood to block the water then use a pail to scoop the water out of his house.
“This observation became the inspiration for the solution. The dikes were inspired by a piece of wood, the water pumps by the pail,” says Armando Militar, local DRRM officer.
On the recent typhoon Glenda with 24kph speed and 150kph strength as it passed Metro Manila, the 39 pumping stations, that are strategically built all over the city, have helped keep all major roads flood-free and passable even at the height of the storm and despite high tide level at 1.8m.
This writer was told that three more pumping stations will be built, one of which will be in Barangay San Jose where the newly built Navotas City Hospital, which will be operational by the yearend, is located.
Meanwhile, the mayor cited the efforts of all concerned local agencies and officials which resulted in the zero-casualty during the onslaught of ‘Glenda.’
The city disaster preparedness officials’ efforts are generally commendable for their response and close coordination to the council before, during and after the typhoon made landfall in Metro Manila.
‘UNSUNG HEROES’
The Department of Health, in related development, recognized the local government and its volunteers who went to Eastern Samar in the wake of super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ which largely devastated the Visayas region.
Led by the mayor, the DoH branded them as ‘unsung heroes’ because of their unselfish efforts and time when they undertook clearing and relief operations. GOOD RIDDANCE/Arlie O. Calalo
