MMDA: Navotas floodgate repairs to last 1 month

Repairs on the damaged floodgates in the cities of Navotas and Malabon are expected to be completed in about a month, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Tuesday.

MMDA Chairperson Romando Artes said the desilting process in the area of the navigational gate is already ongoing.

"Ang timeline namin, two weeks ang pagde-desilt pero habang dine-desilt 'yung area, ginagawa naman 'yung fabrication ng nasira piyesa para as soon as maiangat siya, maikabit in a week or two," Artes told reporters in a press briefing in Malacañang.

(Based on our timeline, desilting will take two weeks. While this is ongoing, we're fabricating the damaged parts so that as soon as it is raised, we can finish the reassembly in one or two weeks.)

"More or less mga one month 'yung timeline natin, weather permitting," he added.

(We expect to complete the repairs in more or less one month, weather permitting.)

The MMDA earlier said the dredging and floodgate repairs would start on Aug. 2. It was damaged after a barge slammed against it last June 7, causing gutter-deep floods in Navotas and Malabon.

There are some 3,000 residents in four barangays in Malabon that are experiencing floods.

There are four to five barangays in Navotas that were initially flooded, but the most affected was Barangay Tanza where the navigational floodgate is located.

Meanwhile, Artes said the continued flooding in the area is "inevitable" while the repairs of the flood gates are ongoing.

"Sa high-tide pa lang nagkakaroon na ng tubig sa tatlong barangay sa Malabon at dalawa sa Navotas. Kung masasabayan 'yan ng pagbagyo at malakas na pag-ulan, mas mataas ang tubig sa area na 'yan. Habang ginagawa 'yan di maiiwasan 'yung pagbaha sa Malabon at Navotas," he added.

(Three barangays in Malabon and two in Navotas get flooded due to high tide. If there will be rains, the water level in the area will increase. Floods are inevitable in affected areas in Malabon and Navotas.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News