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MMDA to assign permanent personnel in Marikina

Marcelino Teodoro
Marikina City Mayor Marcelino 'Marcy' Teodoro meets with newly-installed MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos Jr. yesterday. Earlier, Mayor Marcy vowed full support for the programs and projects of the new MMDA chairman. MARIKINA LGU PHOTO

NEWLY-installed Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Benhur Abalos, Jr., has vowed to assign permanent personnel to Marikina City in conducting dredging activities and restoration of dikes during floods in the city.

Inassess namin for the future kung ano ‘yung pwede naming gawin like number one kung ano ‘yung mga dredging na gagawin namin. Tapos template na yung nangyari last time, ‘yung mga rubber boats ba kailangang mas malaking mga bangka. Kung anong mga lugar ang i-de-declog pa ngayon, at mag-a-assign na kami ng tao dito for this para permanente na dahil tuwing umuulan, that’s topography ng Marikina, eh,” said Abalos.

This was after the agency chief and his personnel met with Marikina City Mayor Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro and city officials during their visit at City Hall on Thursday, January 21, 2021.

The new MMDA chairman has been visiting local governments in the metropolis to assess the needs in their areas and to have better coordination with the agency.

The MMDA promised to assist the city in its dredging operations that aims to increase the water carrying capacity of Marikina River and prevent future flooding,” Mayor Marcy said.

MMDA Chairman Abalos also vowed to help Marikina City in restoring the dikes in Provident Village which were damaged during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses,” he added.

Mayor Marcy has expressed gratitude to MMDA for helping the city before and after the devastation of Typhoon Ulysses, saying the agency helped Marikina City to clear around 950, 000 cubic meters of debris that they collected.

The dredging is part of MMDA’s programs which will be coordinated with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Abalos said.

Dahil pagdating po sa dredging at flood control ay hindi lang MMDA iyan, kasama rin ang DPWH.

Meanwhile, former Mandaluyong mayor and now MMDA Chairman Abalos lauded Mayor Marcy for leading Marikina’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response by taking the initiative in building its own molecular diagnostics laboratory in order to detect those who got infected with the dreaded disease—making the city the first local government to have such in Metro Manila.

He said that the proactive response Marikina City towards COVID-19 is very commendable.

According to Abalos, MMDA is eyeing to expand the operations of the Pasig River Ferry Service (PRFS) and build a ferry terminal at the Marikina River, adding that this gives commuters a faster mode of transportation.

Currently, the ferry service of the MMDA is still free of charge as they are enticing the riding public to patronize PRFS.

Iyong tinatawag naming ferry boat ng MMDA kasi ay libreng sa ngayon. Baka puwedeng na ho dito sa Marikina para mga taga-Marikina, Rizal, San Mateo, mag-pe-ferry papuntang Maynila; hindi na kayo makikipagbunuan sa traffic,” the MMDA chairman said after the meeting with Mayor Marcy.

He said that Mayor Marcy will tell MMDA the strategic location to build the ferry terminal along the Marikina River.