Rains are definitely from the heavens, but floods are from man’s making.
This government and every uncle in this country know the stop gap and long term solutions to the cyclical and perennial problem of flooding in this water frolicking island nation. Infrastructure and technical development such as the construction of operational system of dikes and dams or water basins next to flood prone areas such as Calmana, Bulacan, Pampanga or in Tanay, Rizal, the dredging of silted lakes such as Laguna de Bay and Marikina, San Juan and Pasig, Pampanga rivers, the restoration and massive clean up of creeks that have disappeared because of subdivisions, villages and buildings sitting on these waterways are all doable with facility. Then there are the clogged esteros and drainages due to siltation of massive irresponsible waste disposal of informal settlers, as some smart public highways guys “accidentally” covered with asphalt the manholes in Manila. Very smart!
But these projects are not a government priority by all indications ever since the devastation of “Pedring” and “Sendong” in 2011. The priority is the tuwid na daan that would eliminate corruption in infrastructure projects and its perpetrators. Hence, most of these flood control projects already posted by the past administration of Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo such as the Laguna de Bay dredging, the construction of the dike in Meycauyan River and the Laiban dam in Tanay were shelved “until further notice” without a viable alternative pending the investigation of its details such as overpricing and effectiveness of such projects.
In the meantime, the drowning and rain drenched populace should standby for the results of the investigation, the hearings, the filing of charges, the court procedures and eventual conviction before these projects would be rationalized, re-evaluated and implemented. In fact, the president called these projects “a joke” because of the obvious corrupt patterns in the bidding, awarding and pricing of such projects.
Yes, indeed if it was an Arroyo joke then what is this administration’s “serious” alternative transparency when Aquino himself is just paying lip service to the Freedom of Information Bill, that is if he is really serious about stamping out corruption in government. Or could it be just a changing of collars and hands?
We have been against the corruption of the Arroyos and her administration and we want her convicted. But when thousands of people are fleeing the raging waters fighting for their lives and property, this is no occasion for a habitual Arroyo-bashing and pontificating on the tuwid na daan as the same daan is submerged in flood waters.
The priorities and focus are again on the table with his ad nauseam refrain of hitting at the low-salaried Pagasa forecasters demanding that the warnings on the typhoon and rainfall indicators be made more linguistically accessible to the ordinary minds (as if this would solve the problems of flooding). So what, if the public knows the green, red, yellow color coding rain alerts and the typhoon signals that indicate the suspension of classes — would the flooding cease or save the people from drowning?
Again priorities… as every uncle in this country knows that invasive mining causes deforestation and eventual flooding, advocates against mining such as the CBCP and the Kalikasan party-list groups were hoping that this administration would junk environmentally obstructive mining contracts and protect the environment.
Instead, this administration’s new Executive Order on mining would rather make sure that the government gets a bigger chunk in the contracts rather than radically stem out the cause of ecological disasters or the welfare of the indigenous people.
Again priorities… this government, in particular the DILG, stands pat on its moratorium on demolitions and relocations but on the other hand continues to blame the informal settlers for the clogged esteros, waterways and tragedies that “they have brought upon themselves” by living along river banks, creeks and even under the bridges. How about lending the $1 billion instead to anti-flooding infrastructure? Saved lives are investments indeed.
Again priorities… and at the onset of the monsoon tragedy the president had this preemptive meeting with his cohorts in the lower house to fast track the passing into law the Reproductive Health Bill which to some augurs the Christian kind that was the cause of the divine wrath similar to the biblical floods of Noah.
I guess I have to believe that. In the Book of Genesis, the reason God deluged the earth to near extinction was that they were eating, drinking, making merry and doing business and disregarded or ignored God.
It was a case of misguided priorities!