Monsoon rains and other similar weather disturbances are a common part of life in the Philippines. These heavy rains often lead to sporadic flooding, especially in Manila. Recent heavy rains flooded parts of Metro Manila, resulting in heavy traffic as people attempted to seek dry ground, vehicles got stalled or there was no place to go but wait until the flooding subsides. Waist-deep floods are a frequent occurrence in the city. Such flooding is disruptive on several levels. This includes an interruption in work, and more crucially, in education efforts throughout the city and surrounding areas.
According to the Department of Education, education efforts are hampered when flooding is serious as this keeps families from sending children to school or restricts them from getting to the school even if they wanted to. Work is also disrupted in the Philippines due to extensive flooding and storms. Roads are frequently flooded and in rural areas they are literally washed out due to landslides caused by flooding from heavy rains.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority reports numerous reasons for the flooding. Flooding in June of 2011 was partially due to the overflowing of Talayan Creek. Poor drainage in sewers is another common reason for flooding, especially in downtown Manila. Water lilies were partially responsible for recent flooding in Mindanao in Southern Philippines; lilies blocked a 200 mile stretch of the Rio Grande, the longest river in the Philippines, preventing water from emptying into the Moro Gulf.
According to the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, a major cause of flooding in the Metro Manila area is denuded forests in the surrounding mountain areas near Metro Manila. These forests, stripped from years of logging efforts, provide little refuge from heavy rains. Denuded forests simply cannot trap rainwater. Former flood plains are now used for human habitation. Storm water and raw sewage combine with other solid residential and industrial waste products to clog water waterways and block its flows. The results, heavy rains bring down a torrent of water from the surrounding mountain areas.
Limited road access in urban poor neighbourhoods and communities in and around Manila is another problem compounded by serial flooding. Poor infrastructure limits access to necessary emergency destinations such as Tondo Hospital when flooding occurs. Additionally, emergency services are not coordinated for maximum efficiency in times of calamity. Many such facilities are inadequately staffed and equipped. Staff at many of these facilities is poorly trained at dealing with issues that arise in a time of emergency.
With all these factors, it no longer takes a typhoon to pose a threat to education and disrupt daily life in Manila. Nowadays, heavy rains have nearly the same impact as serious storms in the Philippines. This pattern is actually not new to Manila. Yet, substantial improvements have not been made to address many of the causes of flooding. A flood mitigation program in some surrounding communities has proven to be successful in some instances, but more needs to be done. During recent flooding, areas that would normally be flooded remained safe from flooding when their local governments have taken various efforts to address the problem.
Cainta, serving as a secondary gateway to the rest of the province of Rizal near Metro Manila, has successfully used flood management programs to control flooding in the region. An interceptor was used to combat poor drainage issues that lead to raw sewage being mixed with other contaminants and items that may block waterways. The interceptor is a device that separates hazardous matter from waste. This allows normal sewage discharge into drainage systems, thus eliminating one major cause of flooding in the area.
Cities near Manila, such as Caloocan, Obando, San Mateo, Lambakin and Bacoor continually experience flooding issues over the years, especially from frequent heavy rains and storms. The Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has established policies for dealing with evacuations. Efforts are currently underway to improve drainage during heavy rains to avoid flooding, especially in Manila.
With an estimated population of 11,553,427 comprising nearly 14 percent of the country’s total population, flooding in Metro Manila has a major impact on the country’s economy with revenue lost from individuals who are not able to get to work or leave early to avoid getting trapped in the flood when heavy rain starts pouring. To be fair, efforts have been made to contain flooding and be better prepared for when heavy rains and storms strike. However, there is still a need to rigorously implement effective measures to handle flooding issues that still take a heavy toll far too often.
2011 Moira G Gallaga©