Manila: The government has identified 39 sites across Metro Manila for possible floodwater storage and retention projects as it expands measures to manage increasingly heavy rainfall. Malaca±ang bared the list of possible sites on Thursday, which include open spaces, parks, sports facilities, waterways, wetlands, floodplains, and other areas that could be developed into detention ponds, bioretention areas, green corridors, and river-renaturation sites.
According to Philippines News Agency, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier said around 30 potential sites had been identified for underground floodwater storage beneath existing facilities, with technical assistance from the Netherlands. Among the sites he cited were the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Camp Aguinaldo, and the University of Santo Tomas. The government is awaiting detailed engineering studies before proceeding with the proposed projects.
The broader 39-site list covers areas in cities across Metro Manila, including Manila, Quezon City, Pasay, Para±aque, San Juan, Makati, Navotas, Malabon, Valenzuela, Las Pi±as, Pateros, Muntinlupa, Caloocan, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Taguig, and Pasig. Proposed sites include the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium and Freedom Triangle Plaza in Manila; UP Sunken Garden and Miriam College Open Field in Quezon City; Pasay City Linear Ecopark and the CCP-Roxas Boulevard area in Pasay; and the Marikina River floodplains.
Other proposed sites include Baseco Lagoon, Navotas Coastal Dike, Tanza Marine Tree Park, Maytunas Creek, Ermita±o Creek, Estero de Tripa de Gallina, and Pinagsama Creek. The projects employ different approaches depending on the site, including constructed inland wetlands, mangrove rehabilitation, river renaturation, bioretention areas, and green corridors.
The initiative forms part of the government's broader flood-management efforts, which also include dredging waterways, improving drainage systems, and expanding pumping capacity. Marcos said Thursday that 13 additional pumping stations are being installed in and around Metro Manila, with most expected to be in place by the end of the year or early 2027. The President has also cited the increasing volume of rainfall in a short period as a challenge to existing flood-control infrastructure, underscoring the need for additional water-storage capacity.
