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MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – President Benigno Aquino III visited evacuees in flood-stricken cities in Metro Manila, promising that the government will not leave them behind.
Aquino made the rounds in Marikina, Quezon City, Caloocan, Valenzuela, and Malabon on Thursday, August 9.
Aquino first visited Nangka Elementary School in Marikina, and distributed relief goods to families displaced by flooding due to continuous monsoon rain. Over 7,000 evacuees are temporarily housed in the school.
“’Di namin kayo pababayaan. Wala sa inyo maiiwan sa alanganin,” Aquino said in a brief speech. (We will not abandon you. None of you will be left behind.)
Marikina Rep Romero “Miro” Quimbo welcomed the President, who visited the area along with his Cabinet secretaries and presumptive 2013 senatorial candidates: Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director-General Joel Villanueva, former Akbayan Rep Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, and Aurora Rep Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara.
On Thursday at 3 am, Malacañang ordered residents living the Marikina River to evacuate.
Aquino also visited the Bagong Silangan evacuation center in Quezon City.
He asked for cooperation from the evacuees, and gave assurances that government will exert all efforts to reduce flooding in the immediate future. “Mas importante ‘yung pagkatapos… ‘yung rehabilitation. Ang pinakaimportante ang manigurado tayo na [kung] hindi matatanggal ang baha na kumpleto, malaki dapat ang bawas.”
The President was supposed to visit these places on Wednesday, August 8, but the schedule was changed because of bad weather and heavy traffic. On Wednesday, Aquino was able to visit flood victims in Muntinlupa.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development said a total of 260,000 evacuees are in evacuation centers nationwide.
‘Permanent solution to floods’
In his visit to Quezon City, the President said he has directed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to find a permanent solution to the perennial problem of flooding.
DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson said the proposal is to create embankments and catch basins at the upstream portions and tributaries of the Marikina River to slow down floodwaters coming down from the mountains in Antipolo, San Mateo and Rodriguez in Rizal.
Singson said doing this will allow the drainage systems to work efficiently.
“So ang maaring gawin ay imbakin ang tubig upstream para hindi sabay-sabay ang taas ng tubig dito sa downstream,” said Singson. (So what we can do is to collect the water upstream so that it does not flow all at once downstream.)
Aquino said the government will release specifics on the proposal by next week. – Rappler.com
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