Whoever says that the precepts of law, social justice, good governance, transparency, and accountability are irrelevant and immaterial to the current issue of disaster management scandals in the Philippines is utterly wrong.
First of all, decades of corruption at the national and local levels of the Philippine government, committed with impunity by conscience-less elective and appointive thieves, robbers, and swindlers in the government wearing expensive coats and ties, barong Tagalog, and glittering official robes, is the despicable root cause of the centuries-old abject poverty of the Filipinos. it is also the fundamental reason for the scandalous and shameful too-little-too-late disaster management style of the illegitimate Philippine President Gloria Arroyo and her obedient presidential bet National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro.
Even as tens of thousands of poor and middle-class urban and rural Filipino families in Metro Manila and nearby provinces are exposed to all forms of human sufferings, particularly hunger, thirst, disease, depression and hopelessness, the top officials of the land sleep soundly in their carpeted air-conditioned rooms, protected by the high concrete walls of their multi-million homes, eat sumptuous meals served by well-paid chefs, waiters and domestic helpers, and blatantly continue with their expensive foreign travels, junkets and rackets, not to mention the multi-billion and unaudited presidential social fund and the presidential and cabinet-level intelligence funds and the shameful multi-billion pork barrels of the congressmen and senators of the Philippines whose favorite past times are to conduct publicity-seeking investigations before the television cameras in aid of their reelection and to issue empty and boastful daily press releases intended to beautify and sanitize their hypocritical public image.
What a shame for a country which has been historically classified as the first republic in Asia and the singular showcase of American democracy in Asia.
Please read the various research materials I have compiled below in connection with the foregoing topic, with emphasis on the devastating metro-wide floods and landslides caused by storm Ondoy last week, which to my recollection as a 55-year old Filipino is the worst natural calamity that has taken place in Metro Manila. It destroyed more than Five Billion Pesos worth of crops and fishery, according to one news report, but I personally suspect that overall the damage nationwide would reach triple that amount, at the very least.
Editorial
Caught unprepared
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:40:00 09/29/2009
COMPARISONS have been made between Storm “Ondoy,” which flooded Metro Manila and a big part of Luzon, and Hurricane “Katrina,” the most destructive natural disaster in American history which laid waste an area the size of the United Kingdom. We do not want to be called a copycat, but it might be a good idea to follow the example of the US Senate which conducted an inquiry into government and private sector response to Katrina and have the proper Senate committees conduct an investigation into our response to Ondoy.
The US Senate committees on homeland security and governmental affairs found that the suffering of tens of thousands of people continued longer than it should have because of the failure of government at all levels to plan, prepare for and respond aggressively to the storm. It also found that there was a failure, over time, to develop the capacity for a coordinated, national response to a truly catastrophic event, whether caused by nature or by man. The title of the committee report says it all: “Hurricane Katrina: A Nation Still Unprepared.” Four years after the attack on the Twin Towers of the Trade Center, the United States was still unprepared to cope with a major disaster.
Sounds familiar? We Filipinos, who live right smack in the Pacific Belt of Fire and experience every year at least a score of typhoons, earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions, have not put in place effective disaster preparedness and response program.
Here are some observations on what happened before and after Ondoy struck:
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said two days before Ondoy that it expected the storm “to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rains to a large part of the country.” It also said that “residents in low-lying areas and near mountain sides are advised to watch out for flash floods and landslides.” Was this warning disseminated over the mass media outlets, particularly TV and radio?
Did officers of the National Disaster Coordinating Council not monitor hourly the rise in the level of the floodwaters and warn those living in low-lying areas to move to higher ground?
Thousands of people were marooned on rooftops for hours, many without food, water and protection from the strong wind and rain. Where were the boats and amphibian trucks that could have been used to rescue them quickly? In Marikina, one of the worst-hit cities, only two rubber boats were used for rescue operations.
Were there no helicopters that could have picked up people on the rooftops?
Government agencies were slow in distributing food and medicines to the flood victims. Thankfully, private sector groups speedily went into action and distributed relief goods and other necessities.
There was no well-coordinated disaster communication system that would have enabled people in distress to get in touch with rescue teams speedily. But thankfully, people in the private sector used social networking sites and other means to put people in touch with their stranded or marooned relatives and friends.
There were also stories of heroism and the work of Good Samaritans who helped their fellowmen in distress, like the soldier who saved 20 people from swirling flood waters in Famy, Laguna, before he himself was swept away by the flood. Or the two other soldiers and four militiamen who also drowned while rescuing people in Famy and Mabitac. Or the Chinese-Filipino family in Quezon City who gave food and shelter to about 1,000 people in their big house.
Back to the “Katrina Report.” It cited the “effective and heroic search-and-rescue efforts by the US Coast Guard, and the outstanding performance of certain members of the private sector in restoring essential services to the devastated communities and providing relief to the victims.” It added that “[t]he Coast Guard and certain private-sector businesses both conducted extensive planning and training for disasters, and
they put that preparation into use when disaster struck.”
Perhaps our government and private sector could take a lesson from that, conduct an inquiry into what went wrong and what was done right after Ondoy struck, strengthen existing agencies and institutions, and plan, prepare and train well for future disasters.
See:
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/editorial/view/20090929-227392/Caught-unprepared
Editorial
Apocalyptic
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:06:00 10/04/2009
THERE is a pressing need for the authorities to convene a commission of inquiry, to look at how the devastation caused by recent typhoons were handled by the government. This is not an issue that will go away. In the National Capital Region, the flooding may take weeks to subside; the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts will take months. There is the possibility that further typhoons might reverse some of the work done.
If in recent weeks the nation has been united in remembrance, it is now united in grief and – we do not think it’s an exaggeration to say – anger. All of officialdom, on whichever side of the aisle, in whatever office, is in the dock. As the public demands accountability, we won’t be surprised if officials react by finger-pointing, dodging the issues, or fudging the facts. The public needs to know who did their duty, did it well, or did it badly; and what can be done, institutionally and operationally, to improve disaster response and rehabilitation efforts.
As it is, not just our present officials but a long line of government people stretching back decades are in the dock, too; together with those who’ve benefited, in the public sector, from whimsical or lackadaisical, inconsistent or downright unfair and negligent planning and zoning regulations and from the continuing destruction of forests and watershed areas. Coddled constituencies and those that rely on them for votes or funding are now bearing the brunt of a political system that makes consensus and rational planning virtually impossible.
From the urban poor (kept poor so they can serve as captive voters for local politicians) to those who mobilize the poor even when government seeks to relocate them simply on the principle that government can never do anything good, to the developers of middle- and upper-class subdivisions, to the officials who permit development without regard to environmental planning, to the businesses that blithely build over esteros and other natural draining mechanisms – these constituencies will all attempt to maneuver to avoid changing their status quo.
Our communities as a whole will continue paying the price –though we detect a willingness, born out of trauma, on the part of the public to start making tough choices and require the enforcement of strict regulations, so long as government shows political will. But it cannot be the kind of political will simply exercised to simulate governance; it has to be the kind that makes tough decisions based on real facts, without regard to personal, political or financial gain on the part of our leaders.
So it must begin with a concerted effort to study the causes of so much human misery and destruction, including a timeline of events and the cataloguing of the factors that got in the way of an efficient yet compassionate preparation for, and response to, the disasters that have struck.
Whether it comes from past studies, city and zoning plans that took into account natural phenomena such as where water flows and tends to accumulate; or that provided for adequate drainage; or that regulated population densities; or that took note of the reality (known for decades now) of sinking land levels due to the draining of underground water reservoirs as a result of the unregulated use of domestic and industrial water pumps; or that tolerated informal settler communities along riverbanks, the facts must be surveyed and reported.
And whether by commission or omission, the squandering of government funds due to corruption, the misuse of funds for political purposes, the hiring of incompetent officials and the firing of honest or capable ones, jealousy among government departments or the refusal of local fiefdoms to even consider reorganizing themselves, particularly in a sprawling metropolis, must be identified, documented, reported and tallied, too.
We hope government will rise to the occasion and create an independent commission. But if one’s headed for a whitewash, then the public must be prepared to convene one in the private sector. We got a glimpse of the apocalypse, and it has put the fear of God in the population.
See:
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/editorial/view/20091004-228245/Apocalyptic
What ‘Ondoy’ can teach us about urban planning
By Walter Ang
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 19:39:00 10/04/2009
MANILA, Philippines – As Manila and the cities surrounding it slowly attempt to recover from the Ondoy catastrophe that struck last week, discussions and debates about accountability and blame have been (and still are) raging.
There are so many factors to consider: an extraordinary weather incident (we also consider the climate changes that have been happening); lack of civil-defense planning and vigilance; inadequate weather bulletins and alerts from Pagasa; poor waste management (if the creeks and rivers had not been clogged, would they have allowed a way for the released waters from the dams and the floodwaters to have somehow drain out faster?); environmental degradation (denuded watersheds); and wild and unregulated property development (why are communities allowed to grow near creeks, rivers and dams, anyway?).
Architect and urban planner Dan Lichauco, associate professor at the College of Architecture of University of Santo Tomas and managing partner of Archion Architects, points out that while urban planning is a factor in the disaster, the situation also needs to be evaluated against the fact that the weather incident that day was extreme.
“News reports said it was the worst storm in 40 years and that it was the equivalent of one month’s worth of rain falling within six hours,” he says. “The existing infrastructure that Manila has for water control and drainage just really could not deal with that much water.
“We should also remember that all of us are contributors to this disaster, from the plastic bags we throw into the sewers, to the trash in the streets, to the indiscriminate abuse of unsustainable resources and our reliance on a government that is not working, we all play a part in this disaster. The sewers and drain systems are like the veins in our body. If you feed it junk, it will give you a heart attack! There are only so many bypasses that can be performed.”
Public emotion
While Lichauco understands the current state of public emotion that is looking to pin the blame on something or someone, he hopes that, eventually, the process results in finding out how we can move forward.
“Let’s ask the right questions, get the answers, propose changes, and execute those changes,” he says.
“Parts of Manila were designed using American architect Daniel Burnham’s master plan that was created in the early 1900s,” Lichauco explains. “It was an aesthetic plan, but now we can see that engineering goes hand in hand with aesthetics. Also, Manila was razed by bombs after World War II and the reconstruction of the city did not follow any urban planning.
“Ultimately, the flooding problems and water-drainage problems of Manila is an engineering problem.”
Lichauco says urban planning standards are developed based on historical and existing data and are created to withstand destructive risks but within certain parameters.
“Forty years ago, the population and waste of Manila was vastly different from what it is now. The infrastructure that has been built since then and are in place now did not anticipate this kind of situation. The drain systems were designed based on a standard and average amount of rainfall. In recent years, all these averages were thrown out the window.
“Yes, better planning could have possibly mitigated the effects of this calamity, but then, it’s also possible you cannot completely stop a storm of this nature,” he says.
New thinking needed
He notes that urban planning standards will have to be changed in accordance with the new data provided by this situation. “In the same way that the great earthquake and fire of San Francisco in 1906 changed the standards of that city’s urban planning, Manila will have to reevaluate and revise its standards, too,” he says.
“The risks have changed, in this case, we now experience super typhoons, so the solutions will now also have to be modified.
“New standards should take into consideration the advances in construction technology and new ideas introduced by the environmental movement.”
A leading proponent of green architecture in the country, Lichauco notes that possible solutions for water drainage could include nontraditional methods.
“Concrete does not allow water to pass through, so perhaps we can start using permeable materials to line the streets to allow water to leach through into the ground,” he says. “Also, flood-prone areas could incorporate the development of parks that will serve as draining fields. The parks can be used by the public whenever it is not needed as a retaining pond.
“Now we know for a fact that the city’s systems are unable to sustain something of this magnitude. The question now is, How and will we be able to upgrade these systems? We have to use this disaster as an opportunity to evaluate and change the necessary building and urban designs in the country.”
See:
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view/20091004-228341/What-Ondoy-can-teach-us-about-urban-planning
Don’t blame God, blame botched urban planning
By Rowena C. Burgos
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:35:00 10/03/2009
THOUGH the Philippines is no stranger to floods, tropical storm “Ondoy” last week broke records, with a month’s worth of rain falling in just six hours.
The storm affected nearly two million people. The death toll has climbed to 280 by Thursday and the number of people crammed in over 700 temporary shelters has ballooned to more than 680,000, according to the National Disaster Coordinating Council.
Sunday Lifestyle interviewed urban planners, architects, and other experts on the factors that could have caused the calamity and the measures to solve them.
Urban planning was already done, hindi sinunod [it wasn’t followed]. It was drawn up in 1977, titled “Metro Manila Transport, Land Use and Development Planning Project,” sponsored by the World Bank. Nagawa sana ang spillway sa Parañaque [The spillway in Paranaque should have been repaired] to drain excess water from Laguna Lake to Manila Bay. Nilinis sana nila ang Marikina at Pasig Rivers para mag-flow ang tubig [They should have cleaned the Marikina and Pasig Rivers so that water would flow].
Our country’s urban planning model is obsolete. We have obsolete laws, standards, subdivision rules, building codes. Those may have been the causes of the calamity, plus, the problems of garbage and illegal logging. And we have the tendency to blame God. This is not an act of God but an act of omission of man.
If I had my way, I would develop Metro Manila according to plans of American architect Daniel Burnham in 1905. Manila should have been designed in the same way as Paris, built near the Seine River, and Venice, with its waterways. In Venice, you live upstairs and work downstairs. Catch basins should also be constructed under buildings so that they can collect rainwater for recycling or flowing into rivers.
It’s better for houses to be built on stilts to go above the flood lines, just like the Badjaos.
We gave them solutions 32 years ago but they were never implemented. And I don’t know why. – Felino “Jun” Palafox, urban planner and “green” architect
The incomplete implementation of the flood control plans in the ´70s is only part of the problem. Runaway population growth and grinding poverty coupled with accelerated (and poorly managed) urbanization of Metro Manila are as much to blame. Proper implementation and enforcement of laws are a national weakness. One of the roots of this problem is that, while the challenges are long-term, the solutions are often applied as political band-aids.
Storms like “Ondoy” will happen again. Many things must be done to better prepare us for what lies ahead. We must peg down land use, water use and coastal resource use to align them with regional development plans. “Lifeboat areas” must be identified, and development should focus on these areas. Migration will be one of the most challenging impacts of climate change. We must pre-empt this and encourage the movement of people to safer, more sustainable locations before the worst hits us.
We must protect the few remaining natural areas we have left. We must set up contingency plans for food and water security, for example, full-cycle mariculture. Here, new technologies and better management will make all the difference.
We should re-assess and, where possible, re-configure our national aviation, shipping and highway infrastructure to build in a higher level of survivability to climate impacts.
We should adjust other crucial lifelines such as our power generation systems and grid, delivery system for health services, telecommunications network, banking and insurance sectors, capacity for disaster prevention and response, as well as all other sectors that are crucial to keeping this economy alive. We must learn how to work together.—Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan, CEO and vice-chairman, board of trustees, World Wildlife Fund-Philippines
Manila is a flood-prone area, we are a riverine, estuary community. During the Spanish colonial era, Manila, which was constantly flooded, was eased by the presence of the “estero” system which would flush away the floods. During the American period, this continued to be observed, and many have remarked how this was an efficient way of draining away floodwaters from the city. Sadly, this was not improved by succeeding administrations. In fact, there was over-development by unscrupulous individuals and the local government, resulting in the development of areas that should not have been there in the first place. “Estero” systems or streams were taken over by buildings and encroachments. Added to this is the urban population growth, particularly the growth of the urban poor who live in danger zones, a major problem in disaster control and management.
Solutions: Implement a viable urban development plan which would prevent danger zones from being developed. Control the growth of population in the metropolis by spreading growth to other regions. In danger zones, if growth is inevitable, come up with a new zoning ordinance that would allow high-rise development. Put money in a comprehensive drainage plan that would collect rainwater from the city and pump it out to the rivers or to Manila Bay, or recycle rainwater for agricultural purposes. Dredge Laguna de Bai and important rivers around Metro Manila. Implement laws pertaining to setbacks, encroachments and squatter settlement buildup in danger zones.—Manuel Maximo Lopez del Castillo-Noche, architect, professor (University of Santo Tomas, College of Architecture), heritage expert and Outstanding Manilan awardee
If there is anything or anyone to be blamed for the flooding in Metro Manila, these are the inhabitants. Domestic garbage has obviously taken over the drainage system.
We must learn to dispose of our garbage properly.
We should have waste segregation. Don’t build houses alongside waterways or on areas prone to flooding. And have faith that God will not allow a repetition of what happened recently.—John Joseph T. Fernandez, architect, dean (UST College of
Architecture), environmental planner
While the heavy rains of “Ondoy” were a natural calamity, the severe flooding, the misery and the deaths that these have brought can be blamed largely on sins of omission. Urban planning, or more specifically, the lack of real, honest-to-goodness urban planning, is partly to blame. The lack of sufficient drainage systems, failure to build waterways, and the proliferation of housing developments in flood-prone areas – all these contributed to the devastation. Lack of political will, and sad to say, the rampant corruption in local governments and national agencies, are sins of commission. Then there are the encroachment of communities along “estero” systems and other dangerous places, and garbage. And if civil defense officials had anticipated the amount of rain the storm would bring (available via Doppler and satellite on the Internet), people would have been more prepared.
Pagasa should upgrade its methods and instruments to take into account, not only wind velocity, but also the amount of rain. We should establish a truly professional urban planning agency.
There should be harsher punishments for those who throw garbage in creeks, canals and drainage systems. There should also be regular cleaning and dredging of all drainage systems by LGUs and national agencies.
People should be educated more about the responsible treatment of the environment, including proper waste disposal.
Make the resettlement of informal settlers a priority in affected areas. Local governments and housing development agencies should be stricter in giving permits for housing developers. Corruption should be curbed.—Minguita Padilla, president and chair, Eyebank Foundation of the Philippines; ophthalmologist
The amount of water runoff created a deluge which our drainage facilities are not designed to handle. Then there are the pumping stations that were supposed to drain our city streets but were unable to do so because of the vast amount of garbage blocking the water channels and canals. It didn’t help that there were also the added debris from the destroyed houses and belongings washed up during the onslaught of “Ondoy.” On top of all this, the releasing of water from the dams dumped more water to the already flooded areas, making it impossible for the residents to evacuate to safe areas on time.
In light of the global climate change, we should revisit our water easements and 100-year floodplain planning parameters. Our water channels should remain unobstructed and the same goes for subdivisions and land developments where creeks and “estero” systems are sometimes built over to reclaim more land for profit.
So, proper land-use planning and zoning are imperative, particularly when it comes to ecologically sensitive areas, including floodplains, where continued growth and development can endanger human lives. As for the institutional aspect, we need more proper training, equipment and planning when it comes to disaster management.—Sylvia D. Clemente, architect, professor (UST College of Architecture)
Urban planning development cannot be blamed solely for the devastation caused by “Ondoy,” but rather, also the poor practice and lack of knowledge on what proper urban planning development is all about. Discipline is the key. As we develop from small communities into large urban developments, we should also be responsible for the maintenance of our surroundings. Basically, what happened was a domino effect. From the initial development, a lot of aspects were overlooked, especially the growth of population and infrastructure. Zoning and implementation of certain laws were also neglected. A lot of things were taken for granted: Uncontrolled development denuded our natural vegetation; spillway infrastructure to cope with massive amounts of rainfall was severely lacking; and proper maintenance of infrastructure was lacking.
A careful study of the environment is needed so we can have a game plan. Cleaning operations should start with rivers and other bodies of water, especially the outlets. Regular dredging should come next to prevent clogging. Then, we should look into relocating all illegal inhabitants along rivers, since they contribute a lot to suffocating our rivers with improper garbage disposal. There should be regular inspection of factories along rivers. Enforcing strict laws and penalties should make them think twice about using rivers as dumping ground.
We must know what kind of land we are building on. Assessment of all data from previous studies should be practiced to the highest level. The design should also adapt to location. All buildings should be established at a safe enough level so as not to be affected when rivers overflow. We should also anticipate population growth and set a limit for maximum occupants. Officials should implement the rules properly.—John Tracy Cruz, architect, Globe Asiatique Realty Holdings Corporation
What happened to us was caused by many things, locally and globally: The perennial problem of garbage disposal, clogged drainage systems aggravated by squatting, unregulated mall and other commercial developments, even road diggings left unattended.
How can you correct years of wrongdoing and lack of political will? I’m reminded of a vivid dream I had some time ago. I was perched on the tip of a precipice and was about to fall. I closed my eyes as I fell, anticipating being crushed when I hit bottom. Instead of hitting bottom, I realized I was flying and below was a great river of raging waters. All that was left standing in the middle of that great river was a basilica. There is a meaning somewhere in this vivid dream.—Barge Ramos, fashion designer
The negligence of governments, past and present, resulted in the lack of an efficient rail link to and from Manila, forcing a lot of us to build homes on just any piece of land in the metro, never mind if it’s prone to landslide or flooding. It is obviously a failure to properly plan urban centers. One realizes that in many places, there’s not only a lack of open spaces but also a lack of wide roads and deep waterways to channel rainwater to the river.
The solution is simple. Get the local governments to spend for dredging canals and major waterways, including the “estero.” Treat this as part of the city’s maintenance and operating expense. Should government still fail, we ought to enact laws to privatize flood control and have the national and local governments pay for it.
Change provisions of the subdivision building code to require developers to embed over-sized concrete pipes when building their drainage system. Prioritize and fast-track building of rail network to the north and south so that more affordable and better planned communities there, especially for the working class, will decongest the metro. Media should play a major role by periodically emphasizing the need of government to clean up waterways and/or by reporting negligence.—Johnlu Koa, founder and chief executive officer, French Baker, Inc.
See:
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view/20091003-228234/Dont-blame-God-blame-botched-urban-planning
Reminders from little brother ‘Ondoy’
By Anna Maria M. Gonzales
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:03:00 10/04/2009
“Life is a game of chess, wrote Benjamin Franklin. Chess is life, according to Bobby Fischer. Just apply the lessons with love, patience and understanding. And passion. The whole world is the chessboard, the space that holds the chessmen, each an independent piece, but collectively interlinked in all they do. Like in real life, the play never ends. Every move counts, every turn a lesson.” — Odette Alcantara (1940-2009)
MANILA, Philippines – One of our fundamental planning problems is that most of what we now use as residential areas in Metro Manila were parts of floodplains and riverbeds. Subdivisions were built on former wetlands, rivers and creeks, which were “forced” to become straight, or cemented over to become roads or to create more space for sale.
People cement over open spaces and natural vegetation, destroying the earth’s capacity to drain storm water naturally. Simply put, we are in the way of the natural landscape processes in our very fragile and geologically young archipelago.
Flooding is a natural process. Floods bring nutrients to ecosystems along waterways and make it possible for various forms of life to thrive.
Floodplains
Problems start when settlements sprout on floodplains, or when people insist on tampering with the natural shape of rivers and tributaries. Builders insist on making water travel in a straight line instead of slowing it down by following the river’s natural curves.
When we cover the earth with concrete, it loses its ability to absorb rainwater. It is not only trees that help us prevent floods; water runoff is also absorbed by the various types of indigenous vegetation, like grasses and shrubs that grow along riverbanks.
Tropical storm “Ondoy” is a reminder that rivers have been here before us. It reminds us that we’ve been remiss in trying to find long-lasting solutions to the problems of urban settlements. We’ve simply allowed developers to cover too many wetlands.
We’ve also allowed ourselves to buy into their concept of development and be seduced by the idea of the “house-and-lot” dream.
This dream made our cities sprawl out and obliterated natural waterways with the roads that had to lead to them. These very roads made us buy cars so that we could get to our homes. This increased pollution, carbon emissions and caused more roads to be built. Subdivisions near the hinterland and in former agricultural lands or wetlands even displaced rural people and increased land prices.
Roads turn into rivers
The images from the aftermath of Ondoy were very telling. On the one hand, roads turned into rivers, houses submerged by mud and cars being carried away by currents.
On the other, images of people helping one another were very inspiring.
Perhaps, we can harness that community spirit in preventing disasters from happening again. We could start by rethinking where we live and how we live. We could compel authorities to ensure that those who wish to settle in marginal land because they want to be near their jobs are given a chance to live in safer areas.
It may mean the end of the practice of gated communities that tend to be homogenous and therefore keep the poor out.
It could mean the start of new forms of communities, where the rich, the middle class and the poor live right next to each other so that all are out of harm’s way. It’s not yet too late. More generations will inherit the earth. If we start now, we will be doing our grandchildren a favor.
Way forward
Many people may not be prepared to look beyond their basic survival needs. It is too easy to be mired in helplessness (what’s the use of thinking ahead?) or be angry at the slow pace of developing new solutions or designs.
There is no perfect solution, no perfect house design, no perfect institutional setup and no perfect early-warning system.
It doesn’t mean, however, that we shouldn’t respect our environment just because it’s imperfect and uncomfortable. I say that because the best way we can live on this planet is to get to know it very well, so that whatever we add to or subtract from it will not destroy Earth.
So how does one have a better quality of life after Ondoy? Here are some pointers and practices I’d like to share. I can come up with a long list, but right now, let me focus on two questions that I am often asked: What kind of house is best and where should we live?
I have always been a big fan of houses on stilts because they are most appropriate for our tropical climate. A house on stilts or one raised from the ground by posts also offers some protection from flooding.
‘Bahay-kubo’ strategy
There is wisdom in our bahay kubo where the ground floor is not used as a living area. You could say that the silong (or underside of the house) was our early climate-adaptation strategy. Not only did it protect people from flooding, it also allowed natural ventilation to cool the house.
However, no matter how well-built your house is, it will not help you survive in a vulnerable area.
So let me get to the harder part of my checklist on how to move on after Ondoy.
As I write this, people are working on (or are unearthing, pardon the pun) studies that show areas in Metro Manila where settlements should be prohibited. I don’t want to be the one telling you this, but there is a chance that many of us will have to abandon old neighborhoods or redevelop them so that they become less vulnerable. And I am not talking about filling up low-lying areas or building dikes on the riverside.
Ecological restoration
There is a practice called ecological restoration, which involves giving back to nature its capacity to regenerate.
This means that some riverbanks will be allowed to go back to their natural shape (meandering) and the concrete removed from certain areas to allow water to be absorbed more quickly by the soil. Indigenous tree species will have to be planted. Why indigenous? Because they have the best chance of survival. Trees are not our only defense against flooding or its ill effects. Shrubs, grasslands and wetlands (yes, that swamp in your backyard) also serve as sponges that absorb and filter storm water.
For too long, the conventional wisdom in Metro Manila seem to have been to pour concrete on muddy areas, without thinking that there is a reason why these are muddy. They are nature’s warning signs and sometimes we cannot build a strong enough dike or a big enough drainage system because a lot of areas are naturally under water.
When we dump filling materials on low-lying areas (another loathsome practice) we don’t really solve anything. We just displace water and flooding occurs somewhere else. Eventually, flooding comes back to your place.
Inspect property
I’m pointing this out because a lot of people have been duped into buying property in low-lying areas, riverbanks or creeksides and given the false hope that they can increase the elevation of their property by using filling materials.
So, if you’re a prospective buyer, inspect the property before purchasing it. Also, do a tour of the area. After all, you may have a river for a neighbor. Never believe anyone who refers to a river as dead. (How often have I heard this term. Ay, wala na ’yan. Matagal na ’yang hindi dinadaan ng tubig. Lagyan na lang ng kalsada, tambakan na lang, etc.)
I do not wish to leave people with a scenario in which they cannot be in control.
So let me leave you with one thought – there is something you can do and there are people you can rely on. But first you have to rely on yourselves. Organize your communities, look beyond your own yards and know your impact on the environment. All of us will have to make lifestyle choices that respect the environment.
Quick list
* Do not build up to the edges of your property. Make sure you have soil and vegetation all around you so that the soil drains properly. Resist the temptation to pave everything on site with concrete. Consider using stepping stones or grass pavers instead.
* Do not assume that it is safe to build on the edges of any waterway. Do not rely on the law on easements to protect you. Even if it allows a five-meter easement and you see that it cannot be built on without raising its elevation, consider it unbuildable. If nobody buys these pieces of land, our developers will be forced to rethink and redo their plans.
* If you have empty lots in your vicinity, work with your neighborhood to plant them with appropriate vegetation, which prevents erosion, helps in water absorption on rainy days and lessen heat radiation in the dry season.
* We said it before and we’ll say it again. Reduce, reuse and recycle. Learn how to compost, so you’ll have a healthy garden. Do not be afraid of vegetation and the insects and creepy crawlies that come with them. They will be your early warning system for approaching calamities.
(Anna Maria M. Gonzales is an architect, environmental planner, writer and birder. She’s the master planner of the Balanga City Wetland and Nature Park, and space planner for the renovation of the Ateneo School of Government in Quezon City. She’s also the local governance and participation consultant/monitoring officer for Naga, Legazpi and San Fernando, La Union of the Project Management Office for the Urban Partnerships for Sustainable Upliftment, Renewal, Governance and Empowerment Project of Philssa and the World Bank.)
Fast Facts
455 millimeters
Amount of rainfall dumped by Storm Ondoy in 24 hours
391.7 ml
Average rainfall in Metro Manila for the entire September
288
Number of people killed by Ondoy (As of Oct. 2)
P5.2 billion Estimated cost of damage
10,214
Number of houses destroyed or damaged
726
Number of evacuation centers (As of Oct. 1)
3.2 million
Number of people affected
Sources: Inquirer Archives, Pagasa, NDCC
See:
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/talkofthetown/view/20091004-228289/Reminders-from-little-brother-Ondoy
Flood victims in Metro jails lack water, clean cells–ICRC
Outbreak of diseases in crowded quarters feared
By Kristine L. Alave
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:18:00 10/04/2009
MANILA, Philippines—Two thousand inmates in Metro Manila jails affected by Tropical Storm “Ondoy” are in need of safe water and clean shelter, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Saturday.
The ICRC said one of its urgent projects in the aftermath of the massive flooding brought by Ondoy last Saturday was to ensure that inmates in various detention centers have access to clean water and live in decent quarters.
The storm, the most devastating to hit Metro Manila and outlying provinces in the last 40 years, aggravated the situation in the jails, the organization said.
“Almost 2,000 inmates lack access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation,” says Marco Albertini, an ICRC water and habitat coordinator.
Serious situation
“The situation in jails, which are already overcrowded, has become extremely serious. Several days after the tropical storm, some facilities remain flooded and isolated, and the delivery of relief is a major challenge,” he added.
Improving jail conditions is one of the ICRC’s flagship projects in the Philippines.
The organization said their initiatives to improve living conditions in jails nationwide have helped 11,000 inmates.
Last January, three ICRC workers were kidnapped by bandits in Jolo, Sulu, after conducting a jail assessment survey there. The workers were eventually freed.
The ICRC is also coordinating with local government officials to assess the water supply in the affected areas, noting that the risk of acquiring water-borne diseases was high after a severe flooding.
The ICRC said it has sent engineers to flooded sites to check the water systems and to coordinate with authorities to repair broken systems.
The organization, in cooperation with the Philippine National Red Cross, has also carried out relief operations. The ICRC said it has distributed drinking water, blankets, tarpaulins, mosquito nets and hygiene items to victims of Ondoy.
“From the outset of this calamity, the Philippine National Red Cross staff and volunteers have been working around the clock to carry out rescue operations and meet the immediate needs of flood victims, such as drinking water and food,” said Iris Von Birgelen, the ICRC delegate in charge of cooperation with the PNRC.
“We are supporting their relief efforts financially and providing items available in the ICRC warehouse. We are also assisting rescue and assessment teams,” she added.
See:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20091004-228251/Flood_victims_in_Metro_jails_lack_water%2C_clean_cells%96ICRC
Crop, fishery losses due to 'Ondoy' swell to P5.4 billion
By Marianne V. Go
(The Philippine Star) Updated October 04, 2009 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - Losses to the agriculture and fisheries sector caused by tropical storm ‘Ondoy’ rose to P5.4 billion in Luzon as well as in Zamboanga del Sur, according to the Department of Agriculture.
Marites D. Bernardo, chief of the DA Central Action Center reported that damage to the rice sector alone was heaviest at P4.2 billion, followed by destroyed irrigation facilities at P818.6 million.
Bernardo further reported production losses for other commodities consist of the following: fisheries – P128 million; high value commercial crops (HVCC) – P127 million; corn – P64 million, and livestock/poultry – P41 million.
Other facilities damaged were valued at P1.3 million from the livestock/poultry sector and P189,000 from the fisheries sector.
Bernardo said rice crops from Regions I, II, III, IVA, IVB, V, IX covered 168,065 hectares, out of which 25,592 hectares were completely damaged.
Lost were 243,898 metric tons of palay (paddy rice) from standing crops in reproductive/maturity stage.
Of the P4.2 billion total loss in the rice sector alone, P4.1 billion was from the value of lost palay and P68 million from the cost of farmers’ investment.
For the corn sector in Regions I, II, III, IVB, V, Bernardo said affected were 2,873 hectares of which 639 hectares were destroyed.
Deemed lost was 2,888 MT of corn grains valued at P64 million, of which P37 million was from lost harvest and P26 million in cost of inputs invested by farmers.
For HVCC in the Cordillera Autonomous Region and Regions I, II, III, IVA, IVB, V, Bernardo said 1,863 hectares were affected resulting in a loss of 14,546 MT HVCC (11,465 MT vegetables, 371 MT mango, 94 MT banana, and 2,616 MT papaya), valued at P127 million.
For the fisheries sector in Region III, 5,905 hectares of fishponds with milkfish/tilapia/prawn were affected resulting to a loss of P127.5 million.
For the livestock/poultry sector in Region III and IVA, a total of P 41 million was lost as 12,530 head of livestock (cattle, carabaos, horse, swine, and sheep) and 84,221head poultry died or were lost.
Thus, Bernardo said lost harvest has risen to 243,898 MT of palay which is 3.76 percent of the national target of 6,478,960 MT for harvest in October to December this year.
Bernardo said the loss reduced the regional targets as follows: Region III – 188,764 MT (11.74 percent), Region IVA – 25,755 MT (16.57 percent), Region IV B – 16,832 MT (3.94 percent), Region V – 1,742 MT (0.67 percent), Region I – 7,703 MT (0.01percent), and Region IX – 22 MT (0.O1%).
For corn, Bernardo said, the total volume lost is placed at 2,888 MT which is 0.21 % of the national target production of 1,396,394 MT for the fourth quarter. Thus, Bernardo said, the reduction to regional targets was as follows: R II – 897 MT (0.11%), R III – 763 MT (12.65%), Regioin IVB – 482 MT (7.99 percent), and Region I - 141 MT. (0.02 percent).
The DA is now preparing rehabilitation plans and is conducting intermediate intervention measures using available resources.
The activities to be undertaken include replanting of damaged palay crops with short gestating varieties, repair of irrigation facilities, planting of corn and vegetables, provision of biologics and drugs and reseeding of aquaculture areas with fries/fingerlings as appropriate.
See:
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=510899&publicationSubCategoryId=66
Theres The Rub
Preparedness
By Conrado de Quiros
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:35:00 10/05/2009
Were the alarums for “Pepeng” last Friday a little OA?
Not at all. What was a little OA, or laughably so, was the panic-buying in supermarkets by the middle class—they are the ones with the cash or card with which to fortify themselves for a long siege—who threatened to empty the shelves in no time. Which had the relief groups pleading for restraint lest they leave nothing for those in dire need of instant noodles.
One is tempted to say it’s understandable, given the fury of “Ondoy” which trapped both those living in Provident Village and those living in improvident villages on the roofs of their houses, cut off from civilization for days. Except that you remember that this is also the reflex action of many Filipinos whenever they are told the end of the world is nigh. The middle class also gets to raid the supermarkets with the fury of locusts. I leave that to the sociologists, or psychoanalysts, to analyze. Why do Filipinos imagine that they can survive the Apocalypse with a bountiful supply of de lata?
As to the alert mode that swept over the country by nightfall last Friday, it was as it should be. The Pagasa people were tireless in tracking the storm. Let’s give credit where credit is due, and it is due them hugely this time. I know Pagasa has gotten a lot of brickbats for getting things wrong—I account for some of those—and doubtless the fact that Pepeng brought only mild rains and not the howling winds it conjured (at least in Metro Manila), isn’t going to get its predictions good betting odds at the OTB. Early last Friday in fact, people were joking that this weekend was going to get balmy because Pagasa had predicted a superstorm.
But Pagasa did its part. Its depictions of grim scenarios as a possible outcome of the way Pepeng was moving were perfectly welcome. It put us in a state of heightened alertness.
I don’t know that I can say the same thing about government. Gilbert Teodoro was there of course to assure the public government was behind them. But that assurance could not have greatly bolstered the confidence of those still reeling from Ondoy. It wasn’t merely that government’s credibility had been swept away by Ondoy’s floods. It was also that foremost in the public’s minds was the question: If a superstorm did come, what could government do?
Government’s reappearance last Friday merely gave a face to corruption. Corruption was the lifeboats that should have been there but were not because the money had been stolen. Corruption was the pile of relief goods that should have been there but was not because the money had been stolen. Corruption was the dams and garbage incinerators and drainage systems and relocation areas for those living beside creeks that should have been there but were not because the money had been stolen.
What allayed the public’s fears was the ubiquitous presence of the private sector:
The media, particularly TV; organizations like Gawad Kalinga to whom the soldiers turned for help to do things right; Caritas and other charitable institutions. And public officials like Richard Gordon who mobilized the Red Cross, inveigling no small amount of contributions from Kristie Kenney (though I will have something to say later about the US presence in Mindanao which may not be justified, or masked, by this show of goodwill), and local officials who hastened to clear the mountains of garbage in their places before Pepeng scattered them and turned their places into molehills.
Pepeng did not ravage the country, for which we may thank heaven or our lucky stars. But the preparations were not wasted, the preparedness did not go in vain. The alertness and vigilance were a joy to behold. Which should make us ask: Why in God’s name do we do that only in times of the greatest peril? Why don’t we do that as a matter of course?
If Ondoy and Pepeng have anything to teach us, it is that disaster preparedness means above all preparing for the unexpected. I found it bitterly funny that government’s disaster officials were saying last week that after Ondoy they were now prepared for Pepeng. The point is to be prepared at all times, not just after a severe ravaging.
That is particularly so given that the only thing to be expected about the weather today is the unexpected. The spectacle of devastation across Southeast Asia wrought by Ondoy, or Ketsana, must suggest that natural disasters now cut a wider swath of death and destruction than before. Vietnam was harder hit than the Philippines by Ketsana, which turned into a veritable gale by a time it reached there. But there government moved swiftly, mobilizing its vast military to conduct evacuation—they managed to ferry 150,000 people to safety—and help farmers salvage whatever crops they could. Here, it was the private sector that did that, and only barely.
Typhoons are an act of God, but responding to them is an act of man. We may not always know what to expect from God, but we need to know what to expect from government.
Just as well, the spectacle of devastation across the world, from earthquakes, tsunamis, superstorms, hurricanes, tornado, unrelenting drought, year in and year out must suggest that they are now occurring at a frightening frequency. We’ve had our own share of them in recent years in the mudslides that buried Infanta, in the superstorm that ravaged Albay, in the gale that howled across Metro Manila in 2006, the one that twisted a metal post in Makati. Global warming we can only deal with globally and over time, but its effects we can, and must, deal with locally and at once. That is what disaster preparedness means.
We showed a capacity to do that last weekend, and the disaster didn’t strike. Will we be prepared to do so as well when the next disaster does?
See:
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20091005-228424/Preparedness
Analysis
State of national calamity ad hoc gov’t response
(part 1)
By Amando Doronila
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:24:00 10/05/2009
The declaration of a state of national calamity for the entire country in advance of the onslaught of Typhoon “Pepeng” (international codename: Parma) magnifies the ad hoc response of the government to natural disasters following the great flood unleashed by Tropical Storm “Ondoy” (international codename: Ketsana) the previous weekend.
The reason for the declaration was that it would ensure that all government resources would be mobilized to cope with the worst havoc of the new typhoon.
The declaration only served to underline the unpreparedness of the government to provide relief to victims of a disaster on the scale of last weekend’s deluge.
The government said the declaration would, among others, allow local government officials to tap 5 percent of their funds for calamity purposes, reinforcing the shortfall of between P10 billion and P50 billion for immediate and long-term relief for the havoc wrought by Ondoy.
Despite the emergency measures declared by the government, including forced evacuation of people on the path of the new typhoon, all these measures constituted panic decisions. These measures arrived too little and too late.
An August 2001 study of the University of the Philippines foreshadowed the impact of flood hazards on a megacity, such as Metro Manila, which bore the brunt of the Ondoy catastrophe.
Written by Doracie B. Zoleta-Nantes of the Department of Geography of the UP College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, the paper examines the differential impacts of flood hazards among street children, the urban poor and residents in wealthy neighborhoods in Metro Manila, where the storm left a toll of 123 people dead out of the total of 324 all over the country.
Man to blame
The paper illustrates how the changing urban landscape has led to an increased incidence of flooding in Metro Manila. It accents the manmade problems responsible for the flooding and its dislocation in Metro Manila.
Through this perspective, the paper stays away from the larger debates over the effects of climate change on flooding in urban communities.
Its approach enables us to pinpoint the responsibility for the flooding catastrophe on local actors, who avoid blame by drawing attention to the climate change explanation for the excessive rainfall dumped on Metro Manila a week ago.
The paper points out that many scholars have explored the apparent relationship between increased urbanization and a growing vulnerability to natural hazards.
It argues that “while it is true that floods cause damage and inconvenience to a number of neighborhoods, they do not constitute a national disaster.”
The paper adds: “The desire to reduce flood occurrence is a major concern only among the residents of the megacity, which are directly affected by the inundation events.
“However, the localized flood problems of Metro Manila need to be regarded as a national disaster because the flooding occurrences in the megacity have major implications for the management of the country’s national affairs.”
Losses likely to grow
“The NCR (National Capital Region) is the site of national government central offices and it is the command center of the country’s economic, political and socio-cultural activities.
“Every year, the flood losses in Metro Manila range from a conservative estimate of P100 million per annum to a more inclusive estimate of P2.78 billion.
“The floods will be costlier in the future as the megacity’s economy grows. Flood events will rob Metro Manila’s residents and the whole nation of economic opportunities.”
The paper defines the different impact of flood hazards to urban groups of interest in Metro Manila—street children, residents of slum and squatter communities and members of wealthy neighborhoods.
It argues that the degree of difficulty that is faced by the three vulnerable groups due to annual flooding is greatly affected by their economic background and their position in the arena of political representation.
For example, the social, economic and political position of street children in social relations determines their vulnerability to any kind of hazards.
Their vulnerability “is increased by the lack of attention to their situation by elected government officials who made decisions on resource allocation and disaster mitigation,” according to the study.
Poor most vulnerable
“It has long been established that the poor are the most vulnerable group when it comes to facing disastrous events due to lack of access to financial resources …
Different classes of society have different capacities to absorb impacts and recover calamitous events,” the paper says, adding the rich are better able to defend their property from flood damage because of their access to aid resources.
Describing the changing flood landscape of Metro Manila, the paper attributes the flood to surface runoff, tidal variations, incidence of monsoon rains, and changes in groundwater hydrology and periodic tropical storms.
For example, according to the paper, annual occurrence of weather disturbances, such as typhoons, coupled with monsoon rains, bring in about 3,000 millimeters of rain in the catchment areas of the Marikina-Pasig river system and about 2,000 millimeters in the Manila Bay area.
The rainwater flows through the major river systems of Metro Manila and contributes to the inundation of the Manila Bay’s low flat shores that are fringed with deep soils with high water tables. These low-lying areas are subject to frequent floods.
Poor systems planning
The extraordinary volume of rain deposited by Ondoy (one month’s rainfall poured on Metro Manila and outlying areas in six hours on “Black” Saturday) makes vivid the rapid rise of the floodwaters, catching people unprepared in their homes and killing scores of victims.
The paper points to “some technical considerations” relative to the problem and management of flood hazards in Metro Manila.
According to the paper, these include “poor planning of design of flood control systems and the deterioration and poor maintenance of the existing flood prevention infrastructure.”
Other major contributing factors, it says, are “improper estimates of storm and flood magnitudes, system of failures of flood control due to garbage and other urban debris, and insufficient funding to improve the design and maintain the flood control system.”
The paper says that the occurrence of flash floods is not new in the metropolis. It was already evident in Manila during the Spanish colonial period.
For example, it says, after heavy downpour, many paved streets in Binondo would be flooded with then crystal-clear floodwaters.
Reclaimed sites
At the beginning of the 20th century, built up areas in Greater Manila covered approximately 2,000 hectares of land; it has since expanded into a metropolis with a diameter of about 30 kilometers.
Many of the foreshore land of the Manila Bay have been reclaimed from the sea.
“These reclaimed urban spaces are not the most flood prone areas in the megacity,” according to the study.
But the reclamation sites are generally two to three meters higher than mainland coastal plains. The reclamation sites “obstruct and retard the natural seaward flow of water from mainland streams and have increased flooding incidences” in Parañaque and Pasay cities.
“The changes in land cover and land use in the watershed areas of the NCR have also influenced the megacity’s flooding patterns,” the study says.
“The forest lands in the watershed area have been converted into paddies, grassland, fruit orchards of dry fields, villages, residential subdivisions and extensive pig farms.
“These land-use changes have contributed to the loss of 25-50 percent of the topsoil in the watershed. The eroded topsoil has been deposited on the river beds and decreased the loading capacity of most of the river systems of NCR.”
See:
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20091005-228438/State-of-national-calamity-ad-hoc-govt-response
