Master plan

ROSES & THORNS

- PIA ROCES MORATO

Still talking about floods and no matter how much we wish there was better news, we are flooded by constant issues on rains and worse, the diabolical corruption that surrounds it. In Quezon City a few days ago, in just one hour, we experienced five days' worth of rain. It was indeed a record-breaking downpour.

As the rains started to clear, the Quezon City LGU explained that despite a local ordinance, only two out of 254 flood control projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the city from 2021 to 2025 were able to secure a certificate of coordination yet, in some cases, the DPWH still proceeded with the projects despite receiving a firm disapproval from the local government.

What is important to note is that Quezon City has a Drainage Master Plan. Mayor Joy Belmonte saw fit to have this in order to establish the right coordination for projects. In fact, this whole mess could have been avoided if the flood control projects of DPWH were in accordance with the city's Drainage Master Plan. The mayor cited the clear wastage of resources considering P14 billion was spent, which could have been properly used had it aligned with the city plan to begin with.