MANILA – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is also looking to construct another detention basin beneath the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) cloverleaf section in Quezon City.
In an interview with reporters, Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon said the facility will be built in coordination with the NLEX Corp. to serve as a temporary rainwater storage area that can be utilized for household use.
“We can build a large detention basin in that area, maybe at least half of the detention basin in BGC (Bonifacio Global City), in Burgos Circle. We will design it together with QC but we’re happy to announce and very thankful to announce that NLEX corporation will help us build it,” Dizon said during the inspection of the heavily-silted Balong Bato Creek and drainage structures in Balintawak on Thursday.
“The important thing here is if we get the right of way with the help of QC, we might be able to do it hopefully by next rainy season, the large detention basin. So, it’s very important, it’s not just to solve the EDSA flooding but also all the way down to G. Araneta,” the DPWH chief explained.
Dizon added that they will be coordinating with the water concessionaires servicing Metro Manila residents to make use of the rainwater that will be collected in the basins.
“I just want to make an announcement, PBBM (President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.) has ordered us to coordinate all the detention basins that we will build with our water concessionaires, Manila Water and Maynilad, so that the water that we will store will not be wasted and dumped into the esteros. If possible, we will ask them to help us collect the water that we will store to use for potable water, so that it will be redirected to the treatment plants of Maynilad and Manila Water,” he said.
“We will be able to help our countrymen with flooding and at the same time, we will still be able to use the water for household use. So, this is the directive of our President. That is why we came here today so that the planning and then execution can begin,” he added.
He said they are also planning to double the size of inlets to address flooding in the area, which causes heavy traffic and travel delays during heavy rains.
Meanwhile, Dizon, along with Bataan 2nd District Rep. Abet Garcia, discussed with Asian Development Bank (ADB) Director General Nianshan Zhang and other ADB officials the government's big-ticket projects meant to ease flooding in coastal communities along Manila Bay and improve inter-island mobility for motorists and commuters.
Dizon cited the Manila Bay Integrated Flood Control Defense and Coastal Expressway Project and the Sorsogon-Samar Bridge Project, which will connect Luzon and Visayas to facilitate efficient trade and transport between the two major islands as vital long term infrastructure projects.
Marcos has ordered the DPWH to tap multilateral development partners to expedite the construction of infrastructure projects that will improve the daily lives of Filipinos. (PNA)
