Manila: Senator Raffy Tulfo filed a bill seeking to restore the rehabilitation and maintenance of Metro Manila’s pumping stations to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to improve flood control operations.

According to Philippines News Agency, under Senate Bill 1168, the MMDA would again handle both the operation and rehabilitation of pumping stations to speed up floodwater drainage during heavy rains. Tulfo stated that the current set-up, where the MMDA operates the facilities but the DPWH handles rehabilitation, creates ‘significant operational inefficiencies.’

‘The MMDA is more familiar with the condition of pumping stations under its jurisdiction and should have the authority to initiate rehabilitation works when necessary,’ Tulfo said. The senator made the proposal following a courtesy visit by MMDA Chair Romando Artes and other officials on Monday. During the meeting, Tulfo learned that some pumping stations, including one near the Senate in Pasay City, are non-functional.

He also cited the Sunog de Apog Pumping Station, which the MMDA refused to accept from the DPWH due to defects, and the Vitas Pumping Station in Tondo, which was rehabilitated despite not being due for it. The proposed measure also seeks to transfer corresponding assets, records, and funding from the DPWH to the MMDA.

Tulfo said this would establish a ‘unified and accountable’ system and allow the MMDA to implement a proactive strategy for flood mitigation. Citing a 2018 Japan International Cooperation Agency study, Tulfo noted that traffic in Metro Manila costs up to PHP2.4 billion daily in wasted fuel and lost productivity, a figure that rises during the typhoon season. He added that the World Bank has recommended modernizing Metro Manila’s pumping stations to better manage major flooding incidents.

‘This bill is a necessary legislative intervention to empower the MMDA to effectively manage, upgrade, and rehabilitate the pumping stations, which are a vital line of defense against flooding,’ Tulfo said.