UST, Camp Aguinaldo among 5 flood cisterns eyed by MMDA

To address the flooding woes in the National Capital Region, the Metropolitan Manila Development (MMDA) is planning to build five underground cisterns, including one in University of Santo Tomas in España, Manila and another Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

According to Joseph Morong’s report in “24 Oras” on Wednesday, MMDA chairperson Romando Artes said three pumping stations in the City of Manila had operated amid flooding last week. But these could not handle the combined effects of high tide and heavy rainfall. 

Hence, the MMDA is eyeing to replicate the underground water impounding facility similar to the one in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City. 

One of the  plans is to build an up to 10-meter deep cistern underneath the grounds of UST, which could hold a water capacity of 30 Olympic-size swimming pools. 

If it’s not the rainy season, the underground cistern in the university grounds could also serve as a parking area for 400 cars, the MMDA said. 

The MMDA and the Manila City Hall have already discussed the plan with UST but the university board has yet to respond. 

“Kami po yung magmi-maintain at mago-operate nung catchment na ‘yun, to ensure na wala pong basura, hindi po pamamahayan ng lamok,” said Artes. “At dahil po ito ay heritage conservation site ay inassure po namin ang UST na ibabalik po namin yung kanilang field kung hindi man sa dati ay sa mas maganda pong state.” 

(The MMDA will maintain and operate the catchment to ensure that there will be no garbage, that it will not be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. And because this is a heritage conservation site, we have assured UST that we will restore their field, if not to its original state, then to an even better one.) 

Of the five planned cisterns, the MMDA might start building this year the one underneath the golf course in Camp Aguinaldo, the report said. 

The planned cistern in Camp Aguinaldo has the water storage the equivalent of over 12 Olympic-size pools. 

The other proposed sites for the cisterns are in Raja Solaiman and in Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila, and the Ninoy Aquino Wildlife Park in Quezon City. 

“Nakikita po namin sa ibang bansa, lalo na po sa mga urban cities na ito na po yung ipinapanlaban nila – Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, rain catchment na po,” said Artes. 

(We've seen in other countries, especially in urban cities, that this is what they're using to address [flooding – Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, they are already using rain catchments.) 

Once the construction of these projects began, their status could be monitored through dime.gov.ph. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News