Dizon: España Boulevard cross-drainage project to begin in September

MANILA, Philippines — Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday said the cross-drainage project in España, Manila, will begin in September.

The project will collect floodwater and divert it to the Pasig River, helping reduce flooding in one of Manila’s flood-prone areas.

READ: Trash piles up in Metro Manila waters after habagat-induced flooding

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“The problem in España is that the water has nowhere to go. So once the old, undersized drainage systems are full, the water will overflow,” Dizon said at a Palace briefing.

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“So we need to divert the water. We’re going to build four cross-drainage systems that will carry the water directly into our esteros, which eventually flow into the Pasig River in Manila. We’ll start construction this September,” he added.

The city will begin drainage improvement initiatives in 2027.

Dizon also said the proposed rainwater impounding facilities in Camp Aguinaldo, Liwasang Bonifacio and other areas still need to secure right-of-way before the projects can proceed.

“As for Rajah Sulayman, it looks like [Manila] Mayor Isko [Moreno] is willing to agree to it, so we can go ahead and proceed with that,” he said.

“As long as we coordinate with the LGU and secure the right-of-way, we can easily get it done. That’s the problem. There was also a plan to put a storage facility inside UST [University of Santo Tomas], but it’s still just a plan. So we really need to turn these plans into action, right? Once and for all. That’s the president’s directive,” he added. /mcm