APRIL 27, 2026 — Quezon City is turning the historic Quezon Memorial Circle into more than just a park — it’s becoming a flood defense hub, with new retention and detention ponds designed to ease the city’s perennial flooding woes. Mayor Joy Belmonte says these facilities will be operational before the rainy season, offering both green space and practical protection.

The Quezon Memorial Circle, long cherished as a cultural landmark and green refuge, is now being reimagined as a “3-in-1” facility: a park, a retention pond, and a detention pond. The retention pond can store up to 651 cubic meters of water — equal to 3,255 drums of 200 liters each. Meanwhile, the detention pond, equipped with a natural filtration system, can hold 282 cubic meters, or 1,410 drums.

Mayor Belmonte explained that the detention pond is connected to storage tanks, allowing the collected water to be reused for landscaping. 

“Ito’y mayroon ding detention pond na may Natural Filtration System na makakapag-imbak ng hanggang 282 cubic meters ng tubig … Ang maiipon namang tubig ay konektado sa mga tangke na maaaring nating magamit na pangdilig sa landscape ng ating lungsod,” she wrote. 

(It also has a detention pond with a natural filtration system that can store up to 282 cubic meters of water … The collected water is connected to tanks that can be used to water the city’s landscape.)

This initiative is part of Quezon City’s Drainage Masterplan, crafted by the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute under Dr. Mahar Lagmay. 

The city has been rolling out similar projects, including a detention basin along G. Araneta Avenue and another beneath the Sta. Monica Basketball Court, which can hold up to 1,700 cubic meters of water without pumps, relying on gravity to regulate flow into the Tullahan River.

Belmonte emphasized continuity, saying, “Hindi rin po dito natatapos ang ating pagtugon sa pagbaha sa QC. Tuloy-tuloy po ang mga proyekto natin alinsunod sa ating DMP.” 

(Our response to flooding in QC does not end here. Our projects continue in line with our Drainage Masterplan.)

This means fewer flooded streets, safer commutes, and a more resilient city. It’s a reminder that urban planning isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about survival in a metropolis where heavy rains can paralyze daily life. 

By turning parks into dual-purpose infrastructure, Quezon City is showing how public spaces can be both recreational and protective.

The big question now is, will these flood-control parks really give the city the breathing room it needs when the rains come? Let’s wait and see.

(Image: QC Mayor Joy Belmonte | Facebook)