COA: 28 out of 119 MMDA flood pumps ‘unserviceable’

The photo of the Commission on Audit's office in Quezon City.

The STAR / Michael Varcas

MANILA, Philippines — Contrary to reports that all its flood pumping stations were fully functional, 28 out of 119 pumps in pumping stations managed by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) were “unserviceable,” the Commission on Audit (COA) said.

“Despite the reported 100 percent reliability of all pumping stations for Fiscal Year 2025, audit disclosed that 28 out of 119 pumps in large pumping stations were unserviceable, being under repair, replacement, or rehabilitation,” the COA said in the executive summary of its 2025 annual audit report for MMDA released last Oct. 1.

The non-functional pumps “(indicated) that actual operational capacity is below expected performance levels.”

Out of the 28 pumps identified as “for repair,” four were from the Libertad pumping station, three from the Tripa de Gallina, two each from Abucay, Uli-Uli, Makati, San Francisco and Spine pumping station in Navotas, and one each from Tapayan, Aviles, Bangkulasi, Binondo, Catmon, Hagonoy, Maypajo, Pandacan, San Andres, Sta. Clara in Sta. Ana and Vitas.

The defective pumps were either “for checking, under warranty, for repair, under rehabilitation, or defective motor control,” with repairs and rehabilitation carried out by the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Unified Project Management Office.

The COA noted that three pumping stations did not meet the required threshold for being “operational” by “more than 50 percent,” namely Uli-Uli and Makati PS with “no operational pumps,” and Libertad PS with “only two out of six pumps operational.”

Only tagged as “fully operational” were pumping stations in Labasan, Balete, Balong Bato, Balut, Escolta, Quiapo, Salapan, Valencia and North Navotas, the state auditor noted.