Target set for Marikina project

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is targeting the completion of the massive Marikina Gate Control Structure between 2029 and 2030, a key component of the multi-phase Pasig — Marikina River Channel Improvement Project aimed at protecting Metro Manila from severe flooding.

Public Works Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan told reporters on Monday that the floodgate will regulate water flow from the Sierra Madre, diverting excess floodwater into the Manggahan Floodway and Laguna Lake until conditions in Manila Bay allow safe release.

“After we have completed Phase 4, it will significantly improve the flood protection for Marikina, Montalban, and, of course, Metro Manila because the floodwaters from the watershed will not be directly going through Metro Manila,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.

The structure is expected to be the final major element of Phase 4 of the project, funded by the Japanese government, which also covers river widening, revetment works, and other flood control facilities slated for completion by 2028. Phase 5 will be locally funded, he noted.

The Pasig — Marikina River Channel Improvement Project is a long-term flood mitigation initiative that began in the early 2000s, designed to address the chronic flooding in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Implemented in multiple phases, the project includes river channel widening, construction of revetment walls, and installation of flood control structures to manage water flow from the Sierra Madre watershed. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana