Marikina City Mayor Marcelino "Marcy" Teodoro said over the weekend that the city government has bought five dredgers for use in clearing silt and debris from the Marikina River.

"We'll run out of money if we do it (dredging) by contract. So, what we did (was) we invested in large equipment and trained people who know how to dredge," Teodoro said in an interview with Daily Tribune.

Marikina River is a downstream river, that's why all of the debris from the nearby towns of Rizal province is washed away down the body of water, Teodoro explained.

"So, when it rains heavily, we have to dredge the river again," the mayor said.

The continuous dredging of the river has proven effective in mitigating flooding, the mayor said, increasing its water-carrying capacity and flow velocity.

"We were no longer flooded during typhoons 'Paeng and 'Karding,'" the mayor added.