Water pipe still stalling Manila flood project

Exactly a year after work began on the P560-million flood interceptor project in Blumentritt, Manila, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) National Capital Region office has yet to find an “engineering solution” to the problem stalling its completion—an underground pipe of the Maynilad Water Services.

The pipe, with a 1.2-meter diameter and located the corner of Juan Luna and Hermosa streets, lies directly in the path of the DPWH project which is 3.3 kilometers long, 6 meters wide and 3 meters deep.

“On our end, nothing is final yet,” Cherubim Mojica, chief of Maynilad’s corporate communications, told the Inquirer over the phone yesterday.  “We’re still doing our own technical reviews to come up with a mutually acceptable option for the consideration of the DPWH and other stakeholders.”

“We have more variables and factors to consider so we’re reviewing these carefully,” she said, disputing the DPWH’s previous announcement that a solution had been found. “They may have been speaking [from their end only]. Nothing is final yet on our end.”

Last month, DPWH-NCR Director Reynaldo Tagudando said they would most likely adopt the “original option” which was to cross under the pipe. He added that they were set to meet with Maynilad representatives to resolve the issue.

Tagudando stressed the need to finalize the engineering plans and complete that unfinished segment as soon as possible, noting that Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson had expressed concern over the delay.

Singson had pushed for the project’s completion by December this year.

Asked about the options presented by Maynilad, Tagudando found them to be “not viable” since they would cost much more than the project itself.

The Inquirer tried but failed to contact flood interceptor project engineer Edgardo Ramos for comment. In May, he said they were optimistic they could finish the Blumentritt portion of the project before the opening of classes in June.