QC mobilizes its 142 villages for flood mitigation efforts

QUEZON City Mayor Maria Josefina “Joy” Belmonte on Friday mobilized the officials and personnel of the city’s 142 villages to be in the forefront in augmenting the flood mitigation efforts of both the local and national governments.

Belmonte led other city officials in launching the “Tanggal Bara, Iwas Baha” program wherein barangay authorities would lead in conducting the cleanup of clogged drainage systems, sewers and street inlets, manholes and interceptors.

“The city government cannot do it alone, we need all the help of our communities led by our barangay councils to mitigate rainwater overflow and flooding in our streets,” said the mayor who earlier filed her certificate of candidacy for a second term in the upcoming May 2025 midterm elections.

Quezon City Mayor Maria Josefina “Joy” Belmonte. (Photo By: Ismael De Juan)

“This can be achieved through regular maintenance of drainage systems in their respective jurisdictions,” Belmonte added.

More focus would be given on flood-prone villages such as Del Monte, Masambong, Bagong Silangan, Doña Imelda, Roxas, Tatalon and Apolonio Samson, the city government said.

It was learned that these villages suffered the most during the onslaught of the southwest monsoon and Super Typhoon Carina.

Through the latest program, it is hoped that despite the additional volume of rainwater brought about by climate change, floodwaters in these areas will recede more swiftly, the city chief executive said.

This program was an initiative of the QC Department of Engineering (QCDE), Barangay and Community Relations Department, Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department and the Department of Sanitation and Cleanup Works of Quezon City.

Based on data from the Engineering Department, from January to September 2024, it has conducted 647 declogging operations. The sludge collected through these efforts was enough to fill 50 garbage trucks.

Since 2023, the city government has implemented 61 flood control projects consisting of road and drainage projects and waterways infrastructure, Belmonte said.

Meanwhile, she said the local government is currently upgrading its drainage system in line with its QC Comprehensive Drainage Master Plan crafted in partnership with the University of the Philippines – Resilience Institute.

The plan includes modernizing the current drainage systems of the city in order to address the worsening flooding problems brought about by more extreme weather conditions.