Team DailyPedia
Senator JV Ejercito recalled adopting a flood-control strategy used by then-Navotas City Mayor and now Rep. Toby Tiangco when Ejercito was serving as mayor of San Juan City.
According to Ejercito, his administration took inspiration from Navotas’ installation of strategically located pumping stations and so-called “bombastic pumps” to address flooding in low-lying communities.
“Ang Navotas, 70 percent diyan laging lubog kasi below sea level. Siya ’yung naglagay ng mga bombastic pumps strategically. Ginaya namin ’yon,” Ejercito said, referring to Tiangco.
Ejercito explained that San Juan had its own low-lying, basin-like areas where floodwater could remain even long after rainfall had stopped.
“Kasi nung mayor ako sa San Juan, may mga barangay diyan na ganun, basin din. Kasi minsan kahit wala, two weeks na walang ulan, baha pa rin kasi nga basin,” he said.
Among the areas he identified were Barangays Balong-Bato, Salapan, Rivera, and Progreso.
Ejercito recalled that some of these communities experienced severe flooding during his time as mayor, prompting his administration to install pumping stations, particularly in areas along or near the San Juan River.
“’Yung first namin Barangay Balong Bato na dati 15 feet ang lalim ng tubig diyan. ’Yung Salapan, ’yung Rivera, Progreso, nilagyan namin ng pumping stations lahat at naging maayos. Nawala ang baha sa San Juan,” he said.
The senator attributed the improvement in the city’s flooding situation at the time to the pumping stations his administration installed based on the approach used in Navotas.
Navotas, meanwhile, continues to operate flood-control infrastructure that includes pumping stations, coastal dikes, and a navigational gate. Such facilities are intended to manage rainwater and reduce the entry of seawater into communities during high tides.
Ejercito’s remarks came as flooding once again became a major public concern following heavy rains associated with the southwest monsoon, or habagat, alongside high tides in some areas.
His account also highlighted how local governments have adopted infrastructure measures tailored to communities that are particularly vulnerable to flooding because of their elevation and geography.
