THE METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is seeking to fund and install a water catchment in the UST open field to mitigate flooding in the area.
In a meeting with Manila mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and UST administrators, MMDA chief Romando Artes said the agency is set to submit a proposal to build a 72,000-cubic-meter catch basin in the University’s open field.
The project will require the approval of the University’s Board of Trustees.
According to Artes, the proposed project would hold twice the usual volume of flooding in España, estimated at 36,000 to 38,000 cubic meters.
“The flooding [at] UST, based on our computation, the 0.5 meters of flooding in España is already around around 36,000 to 38,000 cubic meters. So we doubled the capacity [of the water catchment] so the return period will take longer,” Artes said during the discussion.
“The flood levels keep getting higher and higher, so if that (project) is achieved, together with the operation of the Blumentritt catchment and the Sunog Apog pumping station, we think it will really minimize the flooding in the España area,” he added.
Project proposals for building a rainwater catchment basin in the University’s open field have been raised since 2015, but were rejected due to fears that it would weaken school structures in the area.
UST Facilities Management Office head Fr. Dexter Austria, O.P. said the University would be reviewing the government agency’s proposal, noting the University’s already existing 11,000-cubic-meter detention pond for flood mitigation.
“The University of Santo Tomas is carefully studying the proposal of the MMDA, which is similar in scope to one presented by the DPWH in 2015,” Austria told The Flame.
“It is also important to note that the University’s open field has been declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines, and as such, it must be preserved and protected as part of our cultural heritage,” he added.
According to Artes, the MMDA is proposing that the first level of the catchment facility be used as a parking space for vehicles inside the campus, which will also be maintained by the agency to ensure cleanliness and to preserve the campus as a heritage site.
The proposed project, which will require 8,000 square meters of land, will be funded by the MMDA. The cost has yet to be determined as no final agreement has been made between the agency and the University.
Artes said the MMDA plans to submit the proposal to the University within the week.
UST is among the flood-prone areas in the University belt, with several days of classes suspended just last month due to heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon and typhoons “Crising” and “Dante.” F
