DPWH seeks MMC backing for Parañaque Spillway Project

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is seeking the Metro Manila Council’s (MMC) endorsement of the Parañaque Spillway Project, saying it would improve flood mitigation not only around Laguna de Bay but also in Metro Manila.

During the MMC meeting at the MMDA building on Tuesday, DPWH Undersecretary Emil Sadain presented the proposed new design for the Parañaque Spillway Project.

Sadain said the project, first drafted in the 1970s, would connect Laguna de Bay and Manila Bay through a 10.5-kilometer deep underground tunnel from Barangay Buli in Muntinlupa City to Zapote River in Bacoor, Cavite.

“We know the important features of the Paranaque Spillway may also shared Metro Manila by reducing 60 percent of floodflow coming from upper Marikina down to Pasig River,” Sadain said.

READ: LLDA pushes Paranaque spillway project drafted in ’70s

After presenting the initiative, Muntinlupa City Mayor Ruffy Biazon reiterated his constituents’ concerns, noting that the construction will first pass through their city.

“Yung mga maapektuhan are not simple ISFs they are long-time citizens of Muntinlupa—property owners. Syempre, ang sentiment ng mga naninirahan doon ay yung sentimental value of the property na minana pa nila sa ninuno nila and then maaalis sila doon. These are lehitimong taga-Muntinlupa,” Biazon pointed out.

(Those affected are not simple ISFs they are long-time citizens of Muntinlupa—property owners. Of course, the sentiment of those living there is the sentimental value of the property they inherited from their ancestors and then they will be evicted from there. These are legitimate residents of Muntinlupa.)

The mayor also mentioned that around 500 families could be affected by the project’s construction.

In response, Sadain noted that DPWH had already implemented a new design so that the 500 residents of Muntinlupa would no longer be affected.

“Nagawan na po namin ito ng remedyo… We did a tunnel underneath the 2.3 hectares so it can be a massive structure 50 meters below the ground that can bypass the open channel from  the Laguna De Bay all the way to open channel nandoon po sa upstream then tunnels all the way to manila bay,” the DPWH official said.

(We have done a remedy for this… We did a tunnel underneath the 2.3 hectares so it can be a massive structure 50 meters below the ground that can bypass the open channel from the Laguna De Bay all the way to open channel upstream then tunnels all the way to Manila Bay.)

Artes, who presided over the meeting, then mentioned that the DPWH could schedule a meeting with the Muntinlupa City government to further discuss the concerns regarding the initiative.

The Paranaque Spillway project could take up to 10 years to finish, said the DPWH official. /jpv