METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Nick Torre III inspected the Tripa de Galina Pumping Station in Pasay City on Friday and urged the public to dispose of waste properly to prevent flooding.
Torre found plastic, wood, cloth, bottles, and other waste clogging the pumping station, obstructing water flow and hampering flood control operations.
“The fight against flooding is not only about more pumping stations or bigger machines. It also begins with the discipline of every one of us,” Torre said.
He said the garbage buildup also makes the work of MMDA personnel more difficult as they manually remove accumulated waste from trash rakes to keep the pumping stations operational.
Torre described the workers as Metro Manila’s “silent heroes” for carrying out the dangerous and physically demanding task of keeping flood control facilities running.
He said the MMDA will continue to strengthen its flood-control operations and conduct regular inspections of pumping stations, emphasizing that lasting flood mitigation requires households and communities to stop dumping garbage into esteros and other waterways.