Manila, Philippines – A Quezon City councilor has proposed the development and construction of a comprehensive drainage and sewerage system in the city’s central business area (CBA) to avoid typhoon “Ondoy’’ like incidents that caused severe damage in the area.

In his proposal to Mayor Herbert Bautista, Alexis Herrera of the city’s first district stressed that there is an urgent need for a long-term and permanent solution to the flooding woes in the city particularly in the area of SM North and Trinoma on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) and North Avenue.

Herrera said that the Quezon City government in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) had trained its sight in short-term solutions like the clearing of constricted water passageways and drainage system to prevent the accumulation of water in certain areas.

“It can only solve the problem up to a certain extent. Because of the limitations of the existing drainage system in terms of volumes of water it can accommodate as well as the eventual re-accumulation of debris in its passageways the Ondoy-Pepeng tragedy has a dreadful possibility of happening again,’’ Herrera noted.

Herrera said in his proposal the water from the northern part of EDSA can be taken by huge catch manholes leading to Mindanao Avenue, Quirino Avenue and C.P. Garcia towards Tullahan River, Tenejeros Waterway and finally out to Manila Bay.

At present, during heavy rains the surface water in the area flow towards the heavily-silted San Juan-San Francisco River where the Mariblo Creek and Aranan Creek are connected going to Pasig River and finally out to Laguna de Bay.

Since the city’s drainage system is unable to properly address the flooding woes in Quezon City, Herrera noted that an additional or alternate drainage channel needs to be constructed to adequately redirect floodwater out of the city.

He added that his proposed drainage system can minimize if not totally prevent flooding even with the present and future development slated at the city’s CBD or in any parts of Quezon City.