Flood control

It's only February but it already seemed a good time to write about flooding and flood control in light of the rains that drenched and ravaged many areas around the world including Surigao and Agusan in the southern Philippines. In other countries like Australia, cyclones or typhoons caused floods that were unprecedented in that country's history, providing images of a first world nation experiencing third world misery. The images from Queensland particularly caught my attention as it brought back memories of typhoon Ondoy (international name Ketsana) in September 2009. Closer to home and freshly related by a close friend were floods in Surigao that were worse than what they usually experienced this time of year. There were no typhoons as the season for these weather systems were usually from June to November but the heavy rains resulted in chest-high floods in areas where they usually experienced knee-high inundation.

The floods in Australia and Eastern Mindanao serve as reminders of the impacts of climate change and of what can be experienced later in Metro Manila and the Marikina Valley should La Nina hold tru to its reputation during the coming wet season. The floods should serve as warnings to the general public about the need to be prepared. The floods should serve as reminders for our leaders like those in the front-line government agencies like the DPWH and the MMDA, and particularly for local governments to make the necessary preparationsto ensure that another Ondoy does not happen.

Last year was a lucky one in that we were spared from Ondoy-like floods. Lucky because there were very few preparations for the possibility of flooding. Both national and local governments seemed to have been distracted by the elections and the transitions that immediately followed. Nevermind that one issue during election campaigns were government response to the floods of the previous year. Nevermind that many flood control projects were shelved or delayed due to the election bans. Of course, those who were managing the dams continued to be under close scrutiny of a public wary of the damage brought about by the alleged irregularity in the release of floodwaters in 2009 that led to the unprecedented floods in Luzon. But the responsibility for flood control is not theirs alone and are primarily in the hands of infrastructure agencies and local governments.

I am so far satisfied with the efforts in the vicinity of my residence. The drainage along Marcos Highway went underway late last year and continued this year with the construction of larger capacity drainage systems and the clearing and dredging of existing canals from Masinag down to Santolan where the system connects to the Marikina River. From the looks of the works along both sides of Marcos Highway, I am at least confident that the drainage system will be able to resist the stronger typhoons expected later this year. I am realistic when it comes to this things considering I've had enough experiences of floods in my lifetime. Like what a previous MMDA Chair who was also mayor of Marikina said, it may not necessarily mean that floods won't occur but at least it will be less serious in the sense that instead of waste-high floods, there will only be knee-deep water. Perhaps, instead of having floods over 3 days, it will only be over 1 day or maybe even in a matter of a few hours.

This evening, as I was walking my dog, I took the opportunity to inspect the creek near our home. I saw earlier in the day when I passed the area that dredging works that started in late January were already completed. This evening, I saw for myself that the embankments that collapsed around the time of Ondoy have already been rebuilt and that the creek has been cleaned and cleared of debris that could hamper the flow of water when the rains finally come. I just hope that the same efforts were exerted in other sections of the creek, which I knew extended to other subdivisions in Antipolo, Cainta and Marikina.

We, too must be actively involved in efforts to prevent another Ondoy. Of course, such efforts include lobbying for programs and projects like the construction and maintenance of flood control and drainage systems. But on the more basic level there is also a need to pitch-in in terms of waste management. We already know that garbage contributes a lot to the clogging of our waterways. The amount of plastic collected everytime there are waterway clearing operations remind us of the amount of waste that are irresponsibly thrown away. We only hope that the renewed campaign for segregation and the proper disposal of wastes or garbage will not go the way of previous programs that were typical examples now of ningas cogon.

So far, so good. I just hope the flood control and drainage systems will hold come wet season. I know I am ready for the coming rains. But I am at least more confident of our chances given the improvements I've seen for myself. It also helps that the Clairvoyant is safely away in our second home in Singapore, a city-state that also had flooding experience in the past and have solved these thanks to massive investments in a comprehensive drainage system.