QC councilor eyes local alignment with DPWH

A city councilor is urging the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to collaborate more closely with local officials on flood control after “phenomenal” rainfall caused severe flooding in the city over the weekend.

Councilor Alfred Vargas, who chairs the City Council’s Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction, said Saturday’s flooding should serve as a wake-up call for better preparation.

“This is a clear and vicious sign of the effects of global warming,” Vargas said. “We should be more alert and more prepared. Let’s not be negligent.”

He specifically called on the DPWH to coordinate its flood control projects, including clearing drainage systems on national roads, with local government units.

According to the local government of Quezon City, the rainfall on Saturday reached 121 millimeters in just one hour, exceeding the hourly amount recorded during tropical storm "Ondoy" in 2009.

The extreme volume of water overwhelmed the city’s drainage system, causing major flooding in areas not typically affected.

Vargas said the floods would have subsided more quickly if there was “consistent declogging” of the existing drainage system.

He also cited that QC Mayor Joy Belmonte has said the city cannot fully fund its 2023 Drainage Master Plan, which requires an estimated P27 billion, because it includes national roads under the jurisdiction of the DPWH.

The master plan outlines solutions such as water retention ponds, increased pipe capacity and channel dredging. Vargas said he would file a measure to officially adopt the plan as the sole guide for all flood control projects in the city, whether local or national.

In addition to calling for national government support, Vargas also urged residents to be more disciplined in disposing of their trash, which often clogs drainage systems.

The local government said 36 of 142 barangays were affected by the flooding, which left some roads impassable and caused traffic to come to a standstill. Residents in affected areas were rescued and evacuated, though floodwaters have since receded.