Latest news with #RomandoArtes
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Climate
- GMA Network
Over 600 tons of trash recovered from pumping stations, flooded areas —MMDA
More than 600 tons of trash have been recovered from pumping stations and flooded areas amid the impact of Tropical Cyclone Crising and Southwest Monsoon or Habagat in Metro Manila. According to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), a total of 526.8 tons of garbage were collected from pumping stations from Friday to Tuesday. Meanwhile, 76.92 tons of trash were accumulated from clearing operations in flooded areas from Monday to Tuesday. Photo from MMDA The MMDA on Wednesday inspected the Tripa de Gallina pumping station in Pasay City, which is the largest pumping station in Metro Manila. Heavy loads of garbage were retrieved from the pumping station including old furniture, broken refrigerators, wheels, trunks of fallen trees, among others, according to the MMDA. "When plastics are sucked into the pump, they get coiled in the engine, resulting in overheating. The efficiency of our pumping stations are really affected and could result in damaged equipment," MMDA chief Romando Artes said. "Our drainage system is antiquated, with more than 50 years of service. To address these issues, we need a drainage master plan for Metro Manila that involves upgrading and expanding the existing drainage network, constructing new pumping stations, among others,' he added. Photo from MMDA According to Artes, all 71 pumping stations in Metro Manila are working at full capacity. The MMDA is also conducting declogging and dredging operations of drainages and waterways in major thoroughfares in Metro Manila to mitigate flooding. Meanwhile, Artes also inspected the MRT7 project's Batasan Station on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City to address the possible causes of flooding in the area and propose a viable solution. "The size of the inlet was reduced to two feet by two feet from its original dimension of 3 meters by 3 meters. Our agency plans to widen the existing steel-grating drop inlet to intercept the floodwaters coming from IBP Road,' Artes said. Representatives from the city government and San Miguel Corporation's (SMC) MRT-7 management also joined the inspection to address the issue. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
22-07-2025
- Climate
- GMA Network
MMDA: Over 500 flood incidents reported in Metro Manila amid downpour
More than 500 flood incidents were reported in Metro Manila in the last 24 hours amid the heavy downpour brought about by the southwest monsoon (habagat) and the trough of the low pressure area (LPA), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Tuesday. MMDA Chairperson Romando Artes said as of 11 a.m., the number of flood incidents dipped from 500 to 273, with floodwater levels varying on the affected areas. 'Sa buong Kamaynilaan within 24 hours ay mahigit 500 po ang naging pagbaha, incidents ng pagbaha sa iba't ibang areas,' Artes told a palace briefing. (Throughout Metro Manila within 24 hours, there were more than 500 flooding incidents in various areas.) 'As of 11 a.m. naman po, nabawasan na rin po ito ng up to 273 na lamang. Iba-iba po ang degree ng lalim ng tubig, mayroong gutter deep at mayroon din naman pong malalalim. Mahigit 200 naman na po iyong humupa o nawalan na ng tubig,' he added. (As of 11 a.m., it went down to 273. The water levels are varying on the affected areas. Floodwaters subsided in over 200 areas.) State weather bureau PAGASA earlier said heavy rains will continue to drench parts of the country due to the habagat and the trough of the LPA. The downpour has caused widespread flooding, heavy traffic, and floating debris in some areas in Metro Manila. The MMDA recently issued an advisory on the affected roads. 'Tayo po ay nag-prepare at walang tigil sa pagtatrabaho para ma-ensure po na handa ang ahensiya na tumugon sa hamon na dala po nitong hangin at ulan,' said Artes. (We are preparing to ensure the MMDA is ready to face challenges brought about by the rains and wind.) 'Mayroon po tayong 500 personnel, six buses, two military trucks, two rubber boats at four aluminum boats at mahigit 500 personnel po na rescue personnel na nakaantabay at ready for deployment,' he said. (We have 500 personnel, 6 buses, 2 military trucks, 2 rubber boats, 4 aluminum boats and over 500 rescue personnel that are ready for deployment.) Personnel of the MMDA are set to conduct preemptive evacuation of flood-stricken residents in Malabon City, Artes added. Artes also said the MMDA is coordinating with the Department of Transportation for its free ride service to passangers affected by the heavy rains. The agency is also conducting declogging activities in parts of Metro Manila to ease the floods. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- GMA Network
MMDA launches SMS, email notifications for NCAP violations
Motorists will now receive real-time short message service (SMS) and email notifications if they committed violations under the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Monday. "A key feature of this initiative is that vehicle owners will receive notification via SMS even without an internet connection so that immediate action may be taken as soon as they are notified and for their convenience," MMDA chairperson Romando Artes was quoted in a statement as saying during the launch. The MMDA noted that motorists will receive the notification through SMS and email when the violation has been verified. For SMS, the sender is 'MMDA_NCAP' and it does not use a cell phone number, the MMDA said. On the other hand, the official sender in email is 'no-reply@ 'The official MMDA text and email notifications do not include any payment links to prevent scams. Both the SMS and email notifications are sent from no-reply senders,' the MMDA said. According to the MMDA, the vehicle owners' contact numbers and email addresses come from the records registered under the Land Transportation Office 's Land Transportation Management System. Artes urged the vehicle owners to update their records in the LTO LTMS to ensure they receive notifications. As the website shows only traffic violations under NCAP, the MMDA noted that a result of 'No Record Found' status does not necessarily indicate the absence of traffic violations. Meanwhile, Artes reminded the public to be cautious of any suspicious messages containing links and check the sender's information to avoid potential scams. The real-time SMS and email notifications for the violations under NCAP was done in partnership with a telecommunications company and the LTO, according to the MMDA. In June, the MMDA also launched 'May Huli Ka 2.0,' a web-based platform that enables vehicle owners to conveniently check for traffic violations. NCAP is a policy that uses closed-circuit television, digital cameras and/or other gadgets or technology to capture videos and images to apprehend vehicles violating traffic laws, instead of traffic enforcers on the ground. Under the policy, violators can pay fines later online or at the MMDA office. They can also contest their supposed violations caught under NCAP. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
29-05-2025
- GMA Network
MMDA data: Violations declining since NCAP resumption
The total number of apprehended traffic violations has been declining since the resumption of the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP), according to the data of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) released on Thursday. From around 3,000 violations usually monitored in a day, the number decreased to 1,112 on the first day of the NCAP resumption on Monday. This number further dropped to 952 on Tuesday and 797 on Wednesday. NCAP is a policy that uses closed-circuit television, digital cameras and/or other gadgets or technology to capture videos and images to apprehend vehicles violating traffic laws instead of traffic enforcers on the ground. Under the policy, violators can pay fines later online or at the MMDA office. They can also contest their supposed violations caught under NCAP. MMDA chairperson Romando Artes has said that violations caught under the NCAP will be manually reviewed by its personnel before issuing tickets. The implementation of NCAP resumed after the Supreme Court (SC) partially lifted the temporary restraining order (TRO) against the policy, allowing only the MMDA to implement the program. In August 2022, the SC issued the TRO against NCAP being implemented by some local government units in Metro Manila. The order came after transport groups Kapit, Pasang Masda, Altodap, and the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations filed a petition against local ordinances related to the NCAP in five cities including Manila, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Muntinlupa, and Parañaque. One of the contested aspects of the NCAP involves the payment of fines, in which the registered owners, not the drivers, of public and private vehicles are the ones who are asked to pay for the penalties. Transport groups also described the policy as unconstitutional. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- GMA Network
MMDA: Violations under NCAP 'manually' reviewed
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Wednesday that violations caught under the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) will be manually reviewed by its personnel before issuing tickets. MMDA chairperson Romando Artes told Super Radyo dzBB in an interview that their personnel, usually deaf-mutes, are reviewing the violations caught by artificial intelligence (AI). 'Hindi po lahat ng cameras naming may AI, sa EDSA lamang po. Ganunpaman, yung mga may huli ng AI may automatic review po tayo. Mano-mano pong tinitignan yan,' Artes said. (Not all of our cameras have AI, only on EDSA. However, those that are caught by AI have automatic reviews. We check them manually.) 'Yung mga na-capture supposedly na violations ay tinitignan po ng ating mga tauhan. Kalimitan po dyan mga deaf-mutes na atin pong in-employ na sila po yung tumitingin kung tama yung pagkaka-capture,' he added. (Those that are captured for supposed violations are checked by our staff. Usually, there are deaf-mutes that we employ who are the ones who check if the apprehension is correct.) For example, Artes said that AI once flagged an ambulance that used the EDSA busway. Since ambulances are allowed to use the special lane for public utility buses, reviewers invalidated the initially reported violation. Another example, Artes said, is that if a vehicle switched lanes on a road with yellow marking because a car broke down in front of it, reviewers will also invalidate the violation. Artes pointed out that the MMDA will be lenient with those kinds of violations, adding that the NCAP implementation is intended for the discipline of motorists and not for income generation of the agency. A total of 1,112 traffic violations were caught on the first day of the resumption of the NCAP on Monday, the MMDA said. The total number of traffic violations on Monday is lower compared to the over 3,000 recorded on the same date last year when NCAP was still suspended due to a temporary restraining order (TRO). NCAP is a policy that uses closed-circuit television, digital cameras and/or other gadgets or technology to capture videos and images to apprehend vehicles violating traffic laws, instead of traffic enforcers on the ground. The implementation of NCAP resumed after the Supreme Court (SC) partially lifted the TRO against the policy, allowing only the MMDA to implement the program. In August 2022, the SC issued the TRO against NCAP being implemented by some local government units in Metro Manila. The order came after transport groups Kapit, Pasang Masda, Altodap, and the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations filed a petition against local ordinances related to the NCAP in five cities including Manila, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Muntinlupa, and Parañaque. One of the contested aspects of the NCAP involves the payment of fines in which the registered owners, not the drivers, of public and private vehicles are the ones who are asked to pay for the penalties. Transport groups also described the policy as unconstitutional. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
