By Hannah Nicol
The San Juan city government attributed reduced flooding in the city to its ongoing cleanup and drainage improvement efforts, despite several days of heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon, or habagat.
Mayor Francis Zamora said that from Aug. 5 to 9, water rose only a few inches in some low‑lying barangays before quickly subsiding, and no residents had to evacuate.
He noted that while continuous rains early Monday prompted some evacuations, the number of affected residents was significantly lower compared with previous habagat and typhoon events.
Zamora credited the city’s intensified cleanup of drainage systems and residents’ cooperation in avoiding improper waste disposal for the improvement.
“Unti‑unti na po natin nakikita ang nagiging magandang epekto ng paglilinis natin ng ating mga drainage systems at ang pag‑iiwas natin ng pagtapon ng basura sa ating mga daluyan ng tubig,” he said.
The mayor also cited ongoing dredging of the San Juan River, Maytunas Creek, and Ermitaño Creek by San Miguel Corporation under the national government’s Oplan Kontra Baha program.
A new pumping station is being built along F. Manalo Street in Barangay Batis, with another planned near the San Juan River.
Drainage projects in several barangays, along with mobile pumps purchased by the city government, are part of the broader flood‑control strategy.
Zamora urged residents to continue keeping waterways clean, stressing that collective effort remains vital to further reducing flooding.
