Malabon dike repair to take 2 weeks

MANILA, Philippines - The repair of the damaged portion of the Malabon dike could take at least two weeks or more, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said yesterday.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino and personnel from the MMDA’s Flood Control Management Service inspected the dike yesterday.

Engineer Baltazar Melgar, head of the MMDA’s Flood Control Management Service, told The STAR they are rushing to repair the damaged 50-meter portion of the dike in Barangay Tenejeros.

The dike lies outside the still-unfinished Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela (Camanava) flood control project.

Floodwaters from the Tullahan River breached the dike during a heavy downpour over the weekend. Tumbocon said there is no need to evacuate the residents because floodwaters usually subside as soon as the rain stops.

Melgar said the dike is already old and is prone to breaching, especially during a heavy downpour, when the pressure exerted on the dike’s wall is doubled because of increased water volume and the swift water currents. The problem is also made worse by the high tide that adds to the water pressure, he said.

Melgar, however, was quick to add that even if the dike is breached, “there are no houses near the dike which could be damaged by any breach.”

The Malabon City government earlier announced that it is considering filing criminal and administrative charges against officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and several contractors for their alleged failure to finish the Camanava flood control project, which was started in 2003 and was supposed to be completed in 2007.