We share the blame

“A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.”

—John Burroughs

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

INSTEAD of bellyaching and finger-pointing, let’s analyze and first face the mirror.

While public officials who stole billions of pesos of taxpayer's money in flood control projects deserve to die by musketry, we can’t entirely fault them each time our streets are flooded during monsoon rains and enhanced weather disturbances.

Except in many inundated areas where a sizable percentage of funds in flood control projects were pocketed in “ghost” and substandard projects, some areas in the Philippines are problematic since time immemorial and prone to flooding during typhoons.

If the waterways are clogged, it’s because some of us are irresponsible and don’t observe the proper ways of garbage disposal. Floods will really cascade if plastic trash and debris block vital drainage channels, canals, and natural waterways or esteros.

The mushrooming of concrete roads and buildings owing to rapid urbanization will prevent rainwater from soaking into the ground, drastically increasing surface runoff.

Clearing forests in upland and watershed areas in deforestation also removes natural barriers that slow down rainwater, leading to fast-moving flash floods.

 

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We are actually partly to blame for the flash floods, not just the good-for-nothing government officials now facing plunder and malversation of public funds raps in the Sandiganbayan.

Heavy flooding did not actually occur first when corrupt DPHW officials started to bilk the public coffers in nefarious transactions.

Even during both the 1950s and the 1960s, there were significant and deadly floods in the Philippines, often triggered by severe tropical storms, monsoons, and typhoons.

To name a few, torrential rains and flooding overflowed regional rivers in Northern Luzon in July 1957, leaving nearly 1,000 dead after Typhoon Wendy battered the area in one of the worst rural disasters of the decade.

There were heavy downpours from Tropical Storm Lucille causing catastrophic deluges and flash floods, and left hundreds dead (estimates range up to 500) and tens of thousands homeless in Manila and its surrounding suburbs in May 1960.

There were blinding rain squalls that brought intense flash floods to low-lying districts of Manila, paralyzing traffic and severely inundating areas like Sampaloc and Santa Cruz.

 

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The deadliest type of flash floods reportedly develops within hours, move rapidly, and carry debris with powerful currents. In the Philippines, intense typhoon or monsoon rainfall can trigger flash floods with little warning, especially in mountainous areas, river valleys, and low-lying communities, according to Ecoflow.

The causes of floods in the Philippines extend beyond heavy rainfall, concludes the Ecoflow.

“Water may accumulate because drainage systems are overwhelmed, flow rapidly from upland areas, spill from rivers, or move inland from the coast,” it explains.

“In many cases, several of these processes occur together. Knowing how flooding usually develops in a particular community helps households follow the right warnings and act before water levels rise.”

“Monitoring official updates, protecting essential items, and leaving early when instructed remain the most important steps during a flood emergency.”

 

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The United States and ally Philippines celebrated the 75th anniversary of the 1951 United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, the foundation of their ironclad Alliance August 29.

The Treaty remains an enduring testament to the two nations’ unwavering commitment to each other’s defense and security. This year also marked the 80th anniversary of United States-Philippines diplomatic relations – eight decades defined by shared history, shared sacrifices, and a shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, of which the Treaty has played an integral part.

“As we look ahead to the next eight decades of U.S.-Philippines relations, the United States reaffirms our commitment to deepening our relationship with the Philippines, to honoring our obligations in the Treaty, and to advancing our vibrant economic relationship through initiatives like the Luzon Economic Corridor,” the US Department of State announced in a statement.

“The rock-solid ties between our peoples underpin everything we do together as Allies.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)