Metro Manila, Philippines – The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will seek funding in its budget next year to dredge a silted major waterway to address flooding, an official said on Tuesday, Aug. 18.

MMDA Chairman Don Artes said the San Juan River dredging project is not included in the agency’s proposed budget but could be added during deliberations in Congress.

The San Juan River connects Quezon City, San Juan, Mandaluyong, and Manila to the Pasig River.

“With the support ng mga congressman in Metro Manila, baka pwedeng magkaroon ng amendment sa MMDA budget to include San Juan River dredging,” Artes said.

[Translation: With the support of the congressmen in Metro Manila, perhaps there could be an amendment to the MMDA budget to include San Juan River dredging.]

San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora, concurrent head of the Metro Manila Council, asked the MMDA to help secure national government funding for the project.

Zamora said San Miguel Corporation’s dredging efforts have improved parts of the river.

“San Miguel, of course, they’re private, they’re helping us. Nakakahiya rin na i-push sila nang i-push na i-dredge yung river at the pace that we would like sana kasi nagmamagandang loob sila. Iba pa rin pag meron tayong allocation from the national government,” Zamora said.

[Translation: San Miguel, of course, they’re private, they’re helping us. It also feels inappropriate to keep pushing them to dredge the river at the pace that we would like because they’re doing this out of goodwill. It’s different when we have an allocation from the national government.]

Zamora said the river needs sustained dredging.