'Fool me twice, shame on me'

HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRIPE-VINE

My column today may not be very popular; as it’s always been much easier to find a scapegoat, blame the government, or believe that disaster and misfortune have nothing to do with our own actions, or the lack of them. What am I referring to? The disastrous flooding caused by Super Typhoon Carina that we experienced just a few weeks ago, and how we still don’t face the issue squarely – whether from an individual level, to barangay level, and on to LGU level. My beef? We don’t listen to the warnings, or they go in one ear and out the other – as in, we don’t seriously strive to take the high road of prevention, preparedness, and resilience.

For there are voices warning us of what’s to come. As early as January of 2024, raising the issue of the likelihood of a harsh summer and water shortages due to global warming, we had our President Bongbong Marcos, and SM’s Hans Sy. Mr. Hans Sy sits as chairman on our National Resilience Council, and is the first Filipino member of the ARISE Global Board network under the UN Office of Disaster Risk Reduction – Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies. Luckily for the country, only a few areas had to suffer schedules of water being cut off for conservation purposes in May, and there was no widespread shortage.

Then in May, the same two voices were warning us of the rainy season, and the flooding that would inevitably occur. Coastal and riverbank clean-ups were organized by the SM Group all over the country, hoping to lead by example; pointing out that sewers and canals were blocked by trash and detritus, and dedicated clean-up operations were required. We were reminded about how the world’s best flood control systems wouldn’t work if the water accumulating on the street level could not find easy passage along said “esteros.” Was there a citywide drive to clean up and unblock these public works? Is the general public even properly disposing their trash, and the garbage collection done efficiently?

Carina hits, and the metropolis is stymied, with areas as far inland as Loyola Heights suffering from flooding within residences – ironic, given the name of the subdivision. From Makati, I drove to the Manila Bulletin office in Intramuros that morning, and I was fine on EDSA and on Macapagal MOA, but the long stretch of Roxas Boulevard up to Luneta was flooded. Social media posts would show how MOA, BGC, and particular areas did not experience flooding, and were pockets of resilience.

The sad part is how history keeps repeating itself year after year, like in the case of Marikina. This year, I even drove on the Gil Puyat overpass to get to BGC during the storm, and there were flooded portions on the overpass – something I’ve seen also during sudden downpours. But instead we prefer to go on witch hunts, or deflect attention in the guise of public service. Why do I say that?

I’m the first to say that there are many reclamation projects in Manila that have no business getting off the ground, or acquiring the clearances they were granted. And that’s why I welcome their re-evaluation, as recently announced by DENR Sec. Toni Yulo-Loyzaga. But I’m not going to condemn any and all reclamation; as I do recognize how responsible reclamation does exist globally, and has been a boon in countries such as Singapore, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong – to name a few that we’d be more familiar with.

And if we look back to what happened during Carina, in Loyola Heights, on the Gil Puyat overpass to BGC; I don’t like it when they turn reclamation into the boogeyman, absolving many of their dereliction of duties. I’m sorry, but immediate flooding on an inclined or elevated portion of an overpass from Makati to Taguig after a sudden downpour, has nothing to do with reclamation happening miles away. That’s purely a blocked drainage issue, and the responsible party should just do their job.

We can’t just wait for the next storm to hit us. What has been happening since Carina? I’m praying it’s been a lot – and that we’re not going to be crying and scratching our heads when the next big typhoon comes our way. As the saying goes, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice and shame on me!” I think it’s pretty clear that we don’t seem to learn our lesson, and that being a most vulnerable country when it comes to natural disasters hasn’t sunk in to the point where positive, preventive action becomes a regular feature of our lives.

At this point, we can only blame ourselves. We should be asking why areas like BGC and MOA don’t flood, and follow their examples; instead of sour-graping that they weren’t flooded – which I did see happening on social media from some of the netizens’ comments. Yes, misery loves company; but isn’t it far smarter to avoid, or reduce, the misery?