Flooding plagues Man’amko Center in Garapan

Whenever heavy rains fall in Chinatown it usually results in a torrent of muddy water invading the area’s homes and buildings, one of which is the Man’Amko Center—home of the island’s elderly.

According to Office on Aging director Howard Macaranas, at least three inches of water floods the compound’s parking lot even if it rains for just a short time. He said the water comes from the east side of the compound.

“The water flows from the newly constructed Head Start building,” he added.

Macaranas said even after three days since it last rained, the floodwaters remained. He admitted that the drainage at the Man’amko Center compound has a problem and that it only “percolates” water underground but not drain it.

“Water comes from up the hill,” he said, adding that the property right after the Head Start building is a FEMA-funded project that could also add to the longstanding problem. “It is very evident that it has helped in the flooding.”

Macaranas wants the Department of Public Works to have oversight of all government construction projects. He said it should be mandatory that government agencies involved in construction projects first survey the area and carefully study all angles, including drainage flow.

He said: “It has to be planned. When it happens we do emergency isolation of the problem like pumping it out.” But the problem recurs now that it’s rainy season once more on the island.

Macaranas said the problem endangers the safety of the CNMI [I]man’amko[/I] in a place where they should be safe and well taken care of.

To address the problem, Macaranas went up to the company that owns the property next to the center and informed them about the flooding. He said he was able to talk to a “keeper” but not the officers of the firm.

Right now, Macaranas and his staff are clearing the area by removing debris that could help cause the overflow of water to the Aging Center side. He said he is coordinating with the Saipan Mayor’s Office to study and survey the problem.

Office on Aging has planned to allot an area for its herbal plants that could benefit not only the [I]man’amko[/I] but also the CNMI in the long run. However, with the flooding, Macaranas said, he fears that it would only destroy the plots whenever it rains.