FLOODING IN THE Philippines, particularly in Metro Manila, is an old wail year after year because, as somesay, Filipinos happen to be a resilient people who can hack a calamity with a smile, and of late even with a TikTok-worthy clowning.
In the recent years, the acceptance somehow became easier as climate change, a globally natural phenomenon, became the “official” culprit.
But we know there are real and palpable reasons. Leaders and experts make attempts to control or manage the massive flooding, yet fumble till the rains stop and it’s another season of heavy rains lasting for days in one typhoon then the next.
‘If we can be more honest with ourselves, the blame for perennial and massive floods can be pinned down to one logical provocation: environment abuse by the human species …’
VOICES ON FLOODS
Veteran urban planner Jun Palafox recently saidthat solutions to the flooding being experienced lately in Metro Manila had been studied and proposed in the 1970s. Among the things that should have been done was the dredging of Laguna Lake and the Parañaque spillway.
After the big flood in 1973, two projects emerged, he said, namely Metro Plan Manila funded by the World Bank and Manila Bay Region Strategic Plan funded by UNDP. Solutions were there that long ago but government implementation fouled up. He also blames rapid urbanization, 75 percent undersized drainage system, and 40-70 percent of infrastructure funds going to corruption (echoing Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong).
Upon the jolt of typhoon Crising to start the flooding season (soon followed by Dante and Emong as of this writing), MMDA chairman Don Artes pointed to the closure of the three drainage systems in Metro Manila preventing the ideal flow of floodwaters to Manila Bay. This somehow nudged Bicol Saro party-list representative Terry Ridon to revive intereston the controversial Dolomite Beach at the baywalk. He has proposed a committee hearing on its necessity, cost, success in improving water quality in the bay, and possibly contribution to the recent floodings.
FLOOD CONTROL BUDGET
A more disconcerting issue during the suspiciouspolitical times is the surfacing of the huge flood control budget from 2011 to 2025 amounting to P1.47 trillion and the allocation of the second highest budget allocation in 2025 to DPWH for flood control, P1.007 trillion.
With corruption now on spotlight mainly with the expose of VP Sara Duterte’s suspicious spending of confidential funds along with other impeachable offenses, the flood control budget faces close scrutiny as we suffer massive floods and their consequences to life, houses and infrastructures, traffic, business, the normal flow.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
If we can be more honest with ourselves, the blame for perennial and massive floods can be pinned down to one logical provocation: environment abuse by the human species, from presidents and other politicians to ordinary folks.
Large-scale mining, excessive logging, unbridled urban development, ecosystems disrespect have sizably shaved our mountains, forests, farmlands. Fossil fuel dependence for a long time has excessively released and trapped toxic gases mainly causing global warming and extreme weathers.
Commercial greed as well as resulting overconsumption have produced solid wastes in quantity we can hardly manage. And oh yes, government leaders have poorly calculated the value of our natural resources and the costly, tragicconsequences of such myopic vision.
Earth stewardship may really be a far thought.