MMDA vacuum cleaners siphon. off gallons of water
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) deployed several flood-control teams throughout the metropolis, particularly Quezon City and Makati.
Armed with heavy-duty industrial vacuum cleaners, which can siphon off gallons of floodwater, and long sticks to help remove garbage off the canals, the teams could be seen in action on the corner of Buendia and South Superhighway in Makati, España Boulevard and Laong Laan Street in Manila, and the corner of Edsa and Aurora Boulevard and Araneta Avenue in Quezon City.
As of late afternoon Saturday, most of the floodwater had subsided, the MMDA said, except in Barangays Bangkal, La Paz and Pio del Pilar in Makati, which remained under water.
Ed Garcia of the MMDA’s Flood Control Information Center said the flooding was caused mostly by overflowing canals, creeks and drainage systems.
“These creeks and canals should not have overflowed, if not for garbage constantly being thrown in these waterways by nearby residents,” Garcia said in a phone interview.
He said the MMDA regularly cleaned these waterways, but residents continued to throw their trash in them.
“The MMDA is always looking at long-term solutions, such as deepening of the canals. However, residents should learn not to throw their trash in these canals and esteros. Flooding will just recur if they continue to do so,” he said.
