year in, year out -- floods

**monkey_wrench** · June 25th, 2011 08:23 PM

how i wish meron man lang "master plan" or roadmap on how to reduce/minimize. i agree that realistically we cannot totally eliminate flooding. but there should be a way to minimize. feeling ko, no one thinks beyond a few days ahead. bad.

**digitalron** · June 25th, 2011 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by monkey_wrench

how i wish meron man lang "master plan" or roadmap on how to reduce/minimize. i agree that realistically we cannot totally eliminate flooding. but there should be a way to minimize. feeling ko, no one thinks beyond a few days ahead. bad.

There are people who have been thinking long term for ages. Unfortunately, those in the decision-making positions only think until the next elections.

**miked** · June 25th, 2011 09:41 PM

ewan ko nga ba. take my case, before ansipagsipag kong linisin yung canal sa harap namin. parating tanggal ng kung anu-anong plastic na hindi naman galing sa household namin hanggang sa nagsawa na ako. nililinis ko lang yung canal para pumondo uli duon yung kalat ng mga kapitbahay na walang ginawa kundi magsugal at maginom arawaraw. i hate the neighborhood dito sa place ng in-laws ko sa totoo lang.

actually, may masterplan naman talaga. way back during the marcos regime pa. ang nangyayari lalu na ngayon eh don't walk, just talk.

**vinj** · June 27th, 2011 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by miked

ewan ko nga ba. take my case, before ansipagsipag kong linisin yung canal sa harap namin. parating tanggal ng kung anu-anong plastic na hindi naman galing sa household namin hanggang sa nagsawa na ako. nililinis ko lang yung canal para pumondo uli duon yung kalat ng mga kapitbahay na walang ginawa kundi magsugal at maginom arawaraw. i hate the neighborhood dito sa place ng in-laws ko sa totoo lang.

actually, may masterplan naman talaga. way back during the marcos regime pa. ang nangyayari lalu na ngayon eh don't walk, just talk.

We have a similar situation with my in-laws in Pampanga.

After the Pinatubo-induced floods, their street has been all tambak with sand and since magkamaganak silang magkapitbahay, they pool their resources to maintain their street and keep the drainage clean since they don't rely on local government. In contrast the residents in surrounding areas don't do their part. Result: they still get flooded on parts of their street or their place becomes an island (the only unflooded part) because the other waterways/drains remain dirty (which is the downline) and most people pass through their street because its usually the fixed one.

You'll only see these Government mofos going around doing road and infra surveys right before election... panay drawing ampch. Tapos pag magpapagawa ng kalye, dun sa kung marami ang boto (meaning: squatters and low-class families who dont give **** for their surroundings).

I think one way to help ease the Metro's flood problem is to construct several major and minor floodways since the present drain systems are just too inadequate.

**Ry_Tower** · June 27th, 2011 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by monkey_wrench

it's so frustrating how we continue to suffer floods every year. we're in a tropical country that experiences typhoons and monsoons -- but nothing is being done about it. palagi na lang left to chance na "sana hindi bumaha". sigh.

the japanese continuously try to make their buildings earthquake proof, the chinese made the 3 gorges damn to control their river. for us filipinos -- palagi na lang bahala na. and it's not as if the solution is hard. it stares us in the face -- control garbage, illegal settlers, mindless and irresponsible construction. pero wala. bahala na lang palagi.

sometimes talaga i really feel na wala tayo pag-asa as a people. and no, it's not just our inept government. it's our ineptness as a people.

The govt bureacrats don't have the balls to invest. Some people just don't know how to properly dispose of garbage.

**umi001** · June 27th, 2011 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by vinj

We have a similar situation with my in-laws in Pampanga.

After the Pinatubo-induced floods, their street has been all tambak with sand and since magkamaganak silang magkapitbahay, they pool their resources to maintain their street and keep the drainage clean since they don't rely on local government. In contrast the residents in surrounding areas don't do their part. Result: they still get flooded on parts of their street or their place becomes an island (the only unflooded part) because the other waterways/drains remain dirty (which is the downline) and most people pass through their street because its usually the fixed one.

You'll only see these Government mofos going around doing road and infra surveys right before election... panay drawing ampch. Tapos pag magpapagawa ng kalye, dun sa kung marami ang boto (meaning: squatters and low-class families who dont give **** for their surroundings).

I think one way to help ease the Metro's flood problem is to construct several major and minor floodways since the present drain systems are just too inadequate.

I agree with this - any flood management solution needs to be a well-thought out, properly planned and wide-scale one, not buying a few pumps here and there, dredging this or that canal, forcing illegal settlers off a small plot of riverbank. Unfortunately, there isn't any agency with the power, authority, budget and will to do it properly - and the fact that Metro Manila, even though infrastructure-wise is just one big city, is divided into multiple political "cities" and municipalities doesn't help.

In fact, a lot of issues would be solved by having one political governance structure for all of Metro Manila - a governor and legislative council of Metro Manila, if you will - with the current local units either demolished or subordinate to it, so that they cannot pass ordinances or make executive decisions that are contrary to those made by the said council. You'd have consistent traffic laws, wide-scale urban planning, etc. Never going to happen though - too many people would lose their grip on the reins of power.

**LeBRONghini6** · June 27th, 2011 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by monkey_wrench

it's so frustrating how we continue to suffer floods every year. we're in a tropical country that experiences typhoons and monsoons -- but nothing is being done about it. palagi na lang left to chance na "sana hindi bumaha". sigh.

the japanese continuously try to make their buildings earthquake proof, the chinese made the 3 gorges damn to control their river. for us filipinos -- palagi na lang bahala na. and it's not as if the solution is hard. it stares us in the face -- control garbage, illegal settlers, mindless and irresponsible construction. pero wala. bahala na lang palagi.

sometimes talaga i really feel na wala tayo pag-asa as a people. and no, it's not just our inept government. it's our ineptness as a people.

IMO the biggest cause of flooding is roads that is badly designed or hindi masyado pinagisipan and yung mga basura na bumabara sa mga kanal. And those informal settlers but we can't blame them because wala nga rin naman sila malilipatan, kung meron man mas mahihirapan silang kumita ng pera. The government is doing their job in controlling and removing the garbages that was irresponsibly thrown by the "Squatters".

And this is related to our BIG POPULATION, small country

**dieselNUBI** · June 28th, 2011 02:23 AM

ganon din na iisip ko. at nakaka bad trip talaga.

what else is there left to do ? ako, nangangarap mag ibang bansa nalang. i already filed for immigration visas. just waiting to leave this country.

mag bigay pa tayo ng 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, walang improvement mangyayari. magiging mas grabe pa.

im now 30 years old. i have a 1 year and 6 month daughter. gusto ko yun anak ko makakapag laro sa park, makakapag lakad sa kalsada ng walang takot. makita kung san napupunta ang buwis. at maka kita ng magandang sistema ng gobyerno.

pag 30 years old na anak ko. ano na kaya nangyari sa pinas ?

eto lang topic namin ng pinsan ko one time, sabi ko gusto ko na umalis ng pinas. sya naman, gusto sa pinas paren, kasi masarap daw buhay dito, may katulong, may gimikan, pwede mag under the table. basta pag may pera ka, mas angat ka na agad.

ang sabi ko naman. totoo... masarap dito pag may pera ka. pero tuwing umu ulan at bumabaha. pare pareho tayong mayaman at mahirap na nag dudusa sa baha. sa sirang kalsada. sa bulok na gobyerno. pag sa ibang bansa ka tumira, hindi ka nga mayaman, pero kampante ka naman.

at sa totoo lang. ayaw ko rin na pag lumaki na anak ko at malaman nya na may opportunity pala sya na tumira ng ibang bansa at hindi ko pa tinuloy. dahil wala nang pag asa ang pinas. sana territorial nalang din tayo ng United States.

**dieselNUBI** · June 28th, 2011 02:29 AM

OT : speaking of over population. PRO RH bill ako. Sobrang daming pinoy na talaga. kumakalat na tayo sa buong mundo. mag punta ka sa ibang bansa, may pinoy na nag tra trabaho doon. nakakahiya na talaga ang pinas.

another OT : PRO Divorce ako. ALL other countries has divorce na. PINAS nalang ang wala pa. ROME has divorce. nandon si Santo Papa. pero legal doon. nag sabi si Santo Papa na okay lang gumamit ng prophylaxis condom. ang mga Arch bishop natin dito, TUTOL! ay teka. sa RH bill din pala ito.

hay sarap mag labas ng sama ng loob sa pinas. hahahahaha

**timo07** · June 28th, 2011 08:09 AM

Originally Posted by monkey_wrench

how i wish meron man lang "master plan" or roadmap on how to reduce/minimize. i agree that realistically we cannot totally eliminate flooding. but there should be a way to minimize. feeling ko, no one thinks beyond a few days ahead. bad.

If I recall it correctly, Arch. Palafox has recommended a numberof major infrastructure undertaking to minimize, if not, eliminate flooding. I think the Manggahan Floodway is one of these. There is another major one, another draining channel from Laguna lake to Manila Bay. The magnitude of this project (or political will or investment cost) is preventing its implementation.

I'm from Marikina too and a victim of Ondoy, as I assume you are too. Typhoon Falcon last week, kept me up all friday until 3 AM saturday. One more meter of increased level and we would have been affected again, thankfully, it did not happen. I have been thinking of relocating but a lot of things prevented me from doing so. I had implemented ways and still on the process implementing things that would ease the effects of future floods. I learned to be more alert when the rains come.

Like you, I'm hoping that our government will, in its best capacity, do whatever it can to mitigate flooding or its effects. Sometimes we can only do so much. Think of what happened to Japan. Tsunami barriers are part of some of their coastline infrastructure. Then a tsunami came that no barrier has been designed for.