Marikina City residents have attested to the efficacy of the river dredging, saying the project has significantly reduced incidents of severe flooding during typhoons and heavy rains.
As a congressional initiative of 1st District Rep. Maan Teodoro together with Mayor Marcy Teodoro, this impact project has delivered immediate results, expanding the river’s width from 50 meters to almost 100 meters, increasing its water-carrying capacity, and effectively preventing overflow and flooding.
The local government unit, headed by Mayor Marcy Teodoro, bought its amphibious long-arm backhoe to improve the efficiency of the project.
In recent typhoons, residents observed that the initiative has effectively reduced flooding, as floodwaters now quickly recede into the river.
“Sobrang nagpapasalamat po kami sa Panginoon, at tsaka kay Ma’am Maan (Teodoro) at kay Mayor dahil nagawan po ng paraan,” said Joan Rebenito, a resident of Barangay Barangka.
“Malaking bagay po iyong paghuhukay dito, nalaliman po. Iyong dati at ngayon, iba po ngayon,” she added.
For Judy Queno, a long-time resident of Barangay Tumana, the change brought about by dredging was a welcome development since she had grown accustomed to severe flooding during her more than 30 years in the area.
“Hindi na umakyat. Wala na, wala nang tubig. Napaka-epektibo talaga. Ngayon lang namin ito narasanan. Isipin mo iyon,” she said.
Evelyn Soldevilla, another Tumana resident, mentioned that her family now feels safer after years of adapting to floods that had previously destroyed their house and furniture.
”Nararamdaman namin na safe na kami dito sa lugar namin. Kung noong araw, kami yung unang-unang binabaha dito. Ngayon, kami na ngayon yung hindi nababaha,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Marikina City government garnered seven awards in the recent Department of the Interior and Local Governor-National Capital Region (DILG NCR) Urban Exemplar Awards Ceremony.
The local government was recognized in several areas, including Anti- Drug Abuse Council (ADAC) Performance Audit, Local Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and their Children (LCAT VAWC), and Peace and Order Performance Audit (POC)
It was also acknowledged as Highly Compliant with the Manila Bay Clean-Up, Rehabilitation, and Preservation Program (MBCRP)-LGU Compliant Assessment.
Marikina City also received accolades, such as Ideal Level for the Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC) Functionality Audit, Top Performer for Informal Settler Families (ISF) Cluster, and Top Performing LGU in the Regional Subaybayan Performance.
The Marikina City local government was also the recipient of the Seal of Good Local Government from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in recognition of its honesty, efficiency, and efforts to provide the highest level of management in various sectors. It received PHP2.3 million in incentive funds as an SGLG awardee.
