The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)’s P80 million electricity-driven pumping station that hopes to address the problems of students during heavy rains and covers the flood prone areas, including locations of several universities, in Sampaloc and Sta. Cruz districts in Manila will be inaugurated.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will lead the formal inauguration of the pumping station on July 24 while preparations are underway for the launch, said Engineer Baltazar Melgar, MMDA flood control chief.

“Dadating si Pangulong Arroyo and we are preparing for the event so it will go smoothly,” Baltazar said.

Knee-deep flood water levels during heavy rains and submerged the area covering Maceda, Blumentrit, Dimasalang, parts of Sta. Cruz area and Tondo prompted the construction of the pumping station in the area.

MMDA engineers made a study and planned the construction of a pumping station which has the capacity to pump out rain water to prevent Sampaloc from being submerged.

Melgar stressed that the pumping station has three axial-type pumps, “which is fast since each has a capacity of 2.0 cubic meters per second.”

The pumping station also services España Boulevard, Laong-Laan and Dimasalang, Dapitan, Morayta, and Recto in the University Belt.

Further, Mrs. Arroyo will then be led by MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando to the second Gwapotel in Abad Santos, Manila to show its operations.

Fernando said the establishment is utilized by common workers and maintained by the MMDA to serve their customers just like a regular hotel.

Fernando said the idea behind the Gwapotel is to give workers who are living outside Metro Manila or those who are far from their work place to have an area to rest without paying much and enjoy the services given to any regular hotels or motels.