High tide, damaged navigational gate worsens flooding in Malabon

Despite fair weather, some areas in Malabon City experienced floods due to the high tide and the Malabon-Navotas navigational gate that has been damaged since May.

According to Jamie Santos’ Thursday report  on “Saksi,” some tricycle drivers were unable to work as the flood reached two meters.

“Since May 11, sira na yung navigational gate, so pag high tide pa lang, since below sea level si Malabon, pinapasok na tayo ng baha. Hangga’t di siya nagagawa, high tide palang, hindi na makayanan nung mga pumping station natin,” said Malabon City Engineer Leandro Serrano III.

(The navigational gate has been non-operational since May 11, so since Malabon City is below sea level, we have floods during high tide. As long as it is not fixed, our pumping station cannot handle the volume of water.)

Although the navigational gate is operated by the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the Malabon City local government unit (LGU) is helping with the monitoring to expedite the repair.

“Sinabi ni contractor by July 1, i-try nila i-lift ulit yung navigational gate. Sana maging successful (the contractor said by July 1, they will try to lift the navigational gate. Hopefully, it will be successful),” Serrano said.

The Malabon LGU provided free rides to the affected residents going to school and to their work.

Some areas in Bulacan were also flooded due to the high tide, which rose from 4.9 feet above sea level on Wednesday to 5.2 ft today. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News