Three public spaces in Manila are set to take on a second role as flood-control infrastructure, with rainwater impounding facilities planned at Remedios Circle, Rajah Sulayman Park and the Vito Cruz ASEAN Garden to temporarily hold runoff during heavy rains and ease pressure on the city’s drainage system.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso and MMDA Chairman Don Artes signed a memorandum of agreement on Oct. 6 for the three facilities. The projects form part of the wider Metro Manila Sponge City Program.
Remedios Circle is planned to store about 10,000 cubic meters of rainwater and serve a catchment area of around 94 hectares. Rajah Sulayman Park is designed for roughly 8,000 cubic meters over another 94-hectare catchment, while the ASEAN Garden facility at the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex in Vito Cruz is planned to hold about 9,600 cubic meters and serve around 60 hectares.
Together, the three Manila facilities would provide about 27,600 cubic meters of rainwater storage and are intended to help manage flooding in areas including Ermita, Malate and Paco.
Moreno acknowledged during the signing that the projects would not completely eliminate flooding.
“It may not guarantee yet there’s a full solution to the flooding problem because the flooding problem is not only in Metro Manila, it’s happening everywhere, but definitely it will cushion. And hoping that it’s enough for us to suppress the volume of water underneath our roads.”
The three Manila sites are part of a proposed group of five rainwater impounding projects with a combined indicative cost of about ₱4.05 billion, subject to government review, approval, budgeting and procurement. The amount also covers proposed facilities at Camp Aguinaldo and Miriam College in Quezon City.
Moreno also thanked the Office of the President and MMDA for responding to Manila’s requests for rainwater impounding facilities and greener public spaces.
Artes said the Manila projects are targeted for completion before the 2027 rainy season, with the MMDA setting an internal deadline of June 30.
