Bulacan governor speaks to Marcos on need to fix drainage system

Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando spoke with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Monday and raised the need to fix his province's drainage system to prevent floods during the typhoon season.

"'Yun pong improvement ng mga drainage natin ng DPWH, most especially sa MacArthur highways," Fernando told Marcos during a situation briefing in Bulacan, adding that the irrigation system must also be fixed.

(The improvement of drainage, most especially along the MacArthur highway...)

In response, the President said the National Irrigation Administration would send a team to help address the flood situation in the province.

"Ang NIA may team talaga na papadala 'yan, ang problema kasi di pa bumababa 'yung tubig kaya hindi pa sila makapasok, kaya dredging is a good idea, we have to find ways para mapasingaw natin 'yung tubig," Marcos said.

(The NIA will send a team. They can't enter yet because the areas are still flooded.)

Marcos visited the province to check the situation there and to distribute assistance to affected residents.

According to Fernando, the dredging of local rivers in Bulacan was starting to help control floods.

Meanwhile, Vice Governor Alex Castro also spoke to the President about the railway project in the province, saying that this could also have contributed to last week's floods.

"I just want to call the attention of PNR, 'yung ginagawa pong train dito sa Bulacan, mayroon po kasing mga na block po na mga drainage na dapat po ay daluyan ng tubig allegedly, sa Malolos and sa Marilao meron po na before kapag nag-ulan, kinabukasan wala na, sa barangay ko po... ngayon umabot po ng four to five days ang tubig," Castro said.

(I just want to call the attention of PNR, the railway being constructed here. Some drains were blocked, including those in Malolos and Marilao. Previously, floodwaters would subside the following day. But now, they last up to four to five days.)

Over the weekend, it was reported that eight towns in Bulacan were still submerged in floodwaters following heavy rains brought by Typhoon Egay and the Southwest Monsoon.

Bulacan was placed under a state of calamity due to the damage caused by the bad weather. — DVM, GMA Integrated News