P1-B flood warning system wasted due to neglect

[shadow]

baka kaya Marikina is one of the worst hit by the flooding last week, karma kay Bayani Fernando...

mas mahal pa rin ba yun maintenance ng mga equiptments compare sa magagastos sa rehabilitation ng Marikina ngayon?

goodbye Presidential dream...not that he has a chance to begin with..

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/10...ed-due-neglect

P1-B flood warning system wasted due to neglect

MANILA - Expensive flood warning equipment and devices have been rendered idle and put to waste because of neglect following the transfer of flood control from the public works department to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

The idle equipment could have mitigated the deluge brought about by tropical storm Ondoy in Metro Manila.

Abs-cbnnews.com/Newsbreak learned that a flood warning system from Japan amounting to P1.1 billion has been rendered useless because of neglect, indifference or simply lack of foresight.

Sources involved in the initial implementation of the project squarely faulted MMDA chair Bayani Fernando for the inoperable early warning facilities that could have minimized the flooding and deaths in the Pasig-Marikina-Laguna Lake complex.

These sources, who agreed to talk on condition that they will not be identified, said Fernando simply let the equipment suffer wear and tear, without the required maintenance “because he thought the cost outweighs the benefit,” sources said.

Sought for comment, Fernando refused to talk about the now useless flood warning system, saying he was too busy in garbage cleanup. “Let us not talk about it yet,” he said.

Flood warning

The flood warning system in Metro Manila was procured through the Effective Flood Control Operation System or EFCOS, a brainchild of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The project aimed to achieve effective flood control operations for the Pasig-Marikina-Laguna Lake complex through two major components of the Metro Manila Flood Control Master Plan: the Manggahan Floodway and the Napindan Hydraulics Control structure.

It involved the construction of an office that will serve as central network for the rainfall gauges and water level stations, plus a master control and multiplex communications network, relay towers and warning stations.

The EFCOS involved two phases. The first one, completed in 1992, was financed through a Japanese loan amounting to P600 million.

Two rainfall gauges in Boso-Boso in Antipolo and Mt. Oro in Montalban, including 9 water stations, were initially set up, with the master control station in the Rosario Weir (a weir is a small dam built in a river to back up or divert water).

Data from the water gauges and water level stations are transmitted through a telemetry system to the Rosario Master Control Station.

Advance information

From the data, authorities have advance information on any overflowing of riverbanks along the stretch of the Pasig river, thus alerting them for potential flooding.

The system also alerts authorities on how to regulate the water level in the Rosario Weir, whether to divert the waters into the Laguna Lake for temporary storage or into the Manggahan floodway. The Manggahan floodway was designed to mitigate flooding from the lower Marikina river and Pasig river.

The second phase, completed in 2001, was a grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, to the tune of P500 million.

This part of the project involved the installation of additional rainfall gauges in Mt. Campana in Antipolo, Rizal; Aries and Nangka, both in San Mateo, Rizal; Science Garden in Quezon City; and, in Napindan, Pasig City. Additional water-level stations were also set up and telecom equipment systems were distributed to the different local government units in Metro Manila for better coordination.

Nine warning posts were also installed along the Manggahan floodway, which were supposed to be operated by remote control to forewarn those living near the Pasig river for any potential flooding.

Neglected by MMDA

DPWH sources, who declined to be identified for lack of official permission, said that in 2002, the EFCOS project was turned over to the MMDA under Fernando based on a 2-page Memorandum of Agreement.

One source said Fernando himself lobbied with the President for the transfer of the EFCOS project under his control. The entire staff of EFCOS was also moved to the MMDA.

Sometime in 2006, the EFCOS project was no longer gathering or relaying data, and in May 2008, operation was suspended by the MMDA reportedly due to budgetary constraints. “We were informed that Fernando withheld the funds for the EFCOS because the cost of maintaining does not compensate for its supposed function,” one source said.

Worse, all the flood warning equipment, which were operational before, are no longer functioning, the sources said.

Expensive maintenance?

MMDA flood control director 3 Engr. Baltazar Melgar said, however, that some rainfall gauges and water level stations are still operational, such as those installed in Montalban, Boso-Boso, and Aries.

He admitted that some of the equipment have not been rehabilitated due to “prohibitive costs of repair.”

Repair of one water-level station, for example, can cost P500,000 as the repair parts would come from Japan. He said repairing the equipment would not have been practical.

Melgar said the EFCOS equipment from Japan are already “outmoded,” and downplayed the project’s supposed benefits.

“Besides, we only get little information that could be useful from the EFCOS devices,” he said.

But a hydrologist engineer from the DPWH said the data from the rainfall gauges and water level stations are essential in bridge designs and flood control.

It also provides the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) information for its flood advisories.

Dr. Susan Espinueva, officer-in-charge of Pagasa’s hydro-meteorology division, said inputs from the water-level stations and rainfall gauges sent from the Rosario central office to the weather bureau, “serve as basis in issuing flood advisories and thus help in disaster mitigation.”

She confirmed that Pagasa has not been receiving data from the EFCOS project “for several years now.” – Aries Rufo, abs-cbnNEWS.com/ Newsbreak

and probably the reason why the Marikina local govt' was helpless after the flooding. they have misused their calamity funds. kaya pala full force and resources ng MMDA sa Marikina dahil ubos na siguro yun calamity funds nila at ginamit na ng mag asawang Fernando.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx...bCategoryId=65

Commission on Audit
quizzes Marikina on calamity fund use
By Reinir Padua (The Philippine Star) Updated October 09, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The Marikina City government spent P10 million of its calamity fund, supposed to be used only in times of disaster, for other purposes last year, according to the Commission on Audit (COA).

State auditors noted that since there was no declaration of a calamity in Marikina last year, expenses worth P10,302,549.53 made by the city government were charged to its calamity fund.

These expenses included salaries and wages worth P47,980; rice subsidy of employees worth P250,000; purchase of ready mix concrete worth P151,525 and thermoplastic lane remarkings worth P9,853,044.53.

Based on Republic Act 8185, the calamity fund must be used “for relief, reconstruction, rehabilitation and other works or services in connection with the calamities which may occur during the budget year, provided that such fund shall be used only in the area, or a portion thereof, of the Local Government Unit affected by a disaster or calamity.”

According to state auditors, documents supporting those transactions charged to the calamity fund in 2008 showed that these were not in any way related to disaster or calamity response.

The COA report said this examination of the expenses “casts doubt on the legality and validity of the said transactions.”

State auditors said that when presented with the audit findings, the Marikina City government, “did not comment on this.”

COA auditors said the city government must replace the P10.30-million worth of calamity fund and strictly follow rules governing its use.

The STAR tried but failed to reach Marikina City Mayor Ma. Lourdes Fernando to get her reaction to the COA report. – With Non Alquitran

[_Qwerty_]

ano daw yung thermoplastic lane remarkings?? 9.8M?? amph!

[shadow]

ano daw yung thermoplastic lane remarkings?? 9.8M?? amph!

sana hinde pink color...hehehe

[claRkEnt]

nag-invest ng 1-B then di ginamit... another "white elephant" na kunuhanan lang ng tong-pats.

[Monseratto]

Another Major Fail... I hope the people of Marikina will have the politcal will to oust the Fiefdom of the Fernandos.

[CVT]

Ano pa ba ang aasahan natin sa mga hvngh*ng na mga opisyales ng ating bansa?

8800:juggle:

[fourtheboys96]

A flood warning equipment/system will not mitigate flooding. The flood will still be there because of the heavy rain. However, it can minimize loss of lives and properties by giving the right information at the right time to affected areas.

OT. I think it is high time to plan for a long term decongestion of Metro Manila.

[Horsepower]

hmm. Malversation of funds yan ah..

[claRkEnt]

i hope the next administration will go after these CRIMINALS full time. Wala ka na talaga aasahan sa Pandak Admin. Lahat ng departments, kanya'kanyang paraan para magkapera. Di na takot sa expose kasi malakas ang loob na di sila mananagot!

[james00112233]

i hope the next administration will go after these CRIMINALS full time. Wala ka na talaga aasahan sa Pandak Admin. Lahat ng departments, kanya'kanyang paraan para magkapera. Di na takot sa expose kasi malakas ang loob na di sila mananagot!

I don't think na mangyayari yun... Meron at meron pa rin gagawa ng pangungurakot.

[james00112233]

oh boy.... what a waste talaga... nasayang lang ang 1-B ng taong bayan.
dapat si bf na lang ang nilubog!