DOTr calls out MRT-7, Skyway over issues amid floods

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has called out the MRT Line 7 project contractors and the Skyway management over issues that allegedly contribute to the flooding in their concerned areas.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon told Dobol B TV on Tuesday that he and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) have been discussing the flooding issue in recent weeks.

“Kahapon, kinausap ko lahat ng kontratista po ng MRT-7 at sinabihan ko sila na kailangan i-clear lahat ng humaharang sa mga drainage dyan po sa Commonwealth Avenue,” he said. 

(Yesterday, I spoke to all the MRT-7 contractors and told them that they need to clear everything that blocks the drainage along Commonwealth Avenue.)

Dizon said the San Miguel Corporation has committed to addressing the concerns in the MRT-7 project.

The MMDA earlier said the construction of the MRT-7 Batasan Station on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City could have partially obstructed the flow of rainwater, worsening the flood in the area.

The agency said the MRT-7 project “constructed a manhole directly above the existing drainage pipe culverts.”

“A constructed footing wall of the ongoing MRT-7 construction was also observed, which may have partially obstructed the flow of water,” it added.

Meanwhile, addressing the Skyway’s downspouts that are not directly connected to drainage, Dizon said he ordered San Miguel Corporation and  Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to fix the issue.

“Yun naman po sa Skyway, kinausap ko rin po ang San Miguel pero ang sinabi po sa akin na na-turn over po sa DPWH,” Dizon said.

(As for the Skyway, I also talked to San Miguel but they told me that it was turned over to the DPWH.)

“Sabi ko po mag-usap ang regional director ng NCR po ng DPWH at ang San Miguel para huwag muna pong magtuturuan at ayusin na lang po muna yung pagbabagsak ng tubig mula sa itaas,” he added.

(I told the NCR regional director of the DPWH and San Miguel to talk, stop pointing fingers at each other and to fix the water falling from above.)

MRT-7 airs side

In a statement, San Miguel Corp. said its MRT-7 Project Management Office has clarified its facilities near Batasan Station on Commonwealth Avenue “are not the cause of the flooding that occurred in the area, following renewed statements linking the incident in part to the ongoing project.”

“All MRT-7 structures in the area, including columns and footings, were built outside existing drainage lines and do not obstruct the natural flow of water. These were constructed with full consideration of the drainage layout and in compliance with approved engineering plans,” SMC said.

“Concerns that were raised about a manhole constructed along the drainage line have also been reviewed. Based on design, simulation, and on-site inspection, the manhole does not interfere with water flow inside the pipe culverts,” the infrastructure conglomerate said.

SMC said that while construction during earlier phases of the project did affect a section of the drainage system, “this was fully coordinated with the DPWH.”

“The affected segment was restored upon completion, and on March 3, 2025, the DPWH Quezon City 1st District Engineering Office certified that the drainage was ‘’100% completely restored in accordance with standard plans and specifications’,” it said.

With this, the company said that MRT-7 engineers inspected the area, following the most recent flooding, and found the drainage outlet to be heavily clogged with plastic waste and debris. 

“This significantly reduced the system’s capacity to carry rainwater, which likely contributed to surface flooding,” SMC said.

“At a recent interagency meeting attended by DPWH and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, MRT-7 PMO requested any documentation that might indicate obstructions caused by the project. As of today, no such documents have been provided,” it added.

SMC emphasized that flooding in Metro Manila is a longstanding and complex issue, “often rooted in poor waste disposal and inadequate maintenance of drainage systems.”

Six people were reported to have died as a result of Tropical Cyclone Crising, Habagat, and the low pressure area (LPA), the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Tuesday.

A total of 1,266,322 persons or 362,465 families were affected by the bad weather in all regions in the country except for Eastern Visayas.

Floods, landslides, collapsed structures, and tornadoes were reported in the affected areas. — RF, GMA Integrated News