House panel sets probe on Metro flooding

MANILA, Philippines — The House committee on Metro Manila development is set to investigate the massive flooding brought about by Typhoon Carina that submerged the whole metropolis and nearby provinces on July 31.

The committee chairman Manila Second District Rep. Rolando Valeriano said they have to “assess the extensive damage” as the typhoon wreaked havoc on homes and trapped thousands of vehicles in floodwaters in the National Capital Region and nearby areas.

“First of all, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) should explain what happened to our flood control systems and why was it not able to contain the rains dumped by typhoon Carina,” he said.

“It’s true that rains dumped by this typhoon were record-breaking, but we, as government, should be fully prepared for such worst-case scenarios. Let’s always expect the worst. Our benchmark should always be super typhoons Ondoy and Yolanda,” Valeriano added.

In a chance interview yesterday, Speaker Martin Romualdez said he fully supports the House inquiry as he highlights the oversight function of Congress.

He explained that the government has a master plan on flood control and there is a need to comply and update such plan. There should also be a relocation plan for those living in low-lying areas as heavy rains and climate change are unavoidable.

Meanwhile, Senate President Francis Escudero has called for a Senate investigation on the failure of billion pesos worth of flood control projects to curb the effects of typhoons in the metropolis.

Escudero said he has had enough of the cycle of flooding every typhoon season in Metro Manila that remains unchecked despite the flood control projects of the DPWH and the MMDA. – Marc Jayson Cayabyab