Above: Graphic of one of the solutions San Antonio, Texas implemented to control their flooding issues.

San Antonio, because of its location, is one of the most flood prone cities in North America. Their solutions to handle flooding are multiple and in many ways innovative. Above, they built a spill control tunnel under the city. They have a system of dams located in the surrounding areas to control flooding; in other words they are cognizant of environmental and geographic issues that contribute to flooding.

While our current fascination is with trash management and garbage control; the fact of the matter is because of Metro Manila’s location we will always be prone to massive flooding. Hence, we have to think a little bigger and a little wider in developing solutions to address our flood problems. Other countries and cities offer templates, models, and solutions that we can borrow from.

We have a historical proclivity for flooding, while the trash issue has compounded that problem in recent decades, flooding is not a recent development. It is a centuries long issue tied directly to our location. Metro Manila has a bay, it has multiple rivers, it borders a major shallow lake, and it at the foot of a mountain ranges (thus making us susceptible to run-off). Additionally, a number of areas in Metro Manila are below sea-level. We are geographically pre-disposed to flooding. Any true and effective package of solutions must keep that in mind.

Flood management is not a simple one-off solution (like trash management), nor will it be easily solved in years. The time to properly address our issues will be measured in decades. Best we start thinking like that.

Note: For more information on San Antonio’s flood control solutions (of which they are constantly refining and adding to) please visit the San Antonio River Authority website.

ellobofilipino:

I must agree with you my friend. And in the Philippine networks, the news on the Senate and House of Representatives hearings hugs the spots. I am not saying that they are not important, they are. And I do watch them out of a seething anger knowing that the people’s money are given to general’s as freebies. But I hope the national newsrooms would also give due importance to the floods in Caraga and Sulu. Lives and property are getting lost in these places.

Yup, I can well understand the need to focus on the drama of the AFP hearings. Especially since it’s almost made for TV with emotional and driven witnesses, recalcitrant and diabolical villains (I will not incriminate myself) and overmatched patsies who are watching the shit hit the fan. Like you, I’ve been caught up in the proceedings as well! It’s very hard not to be.

What the hearings are doing is giving us insight into a failing system that left Filipinos behind in their own country. It should not though be overshadowing the suffering of Filipinos, who are victims of this graft and corruption in very obvious ways. Those who are losing house and life and the actual representation of what has been going on in the halls of power in this country. It’s not the money or the properties stolen. It is the lost opportunities to help Filipinos, to build the necessary infrastructure and put in place the wholly needed training programs and technology to save and protect in times of crisis.

While the tears of a whistleblower are dramatic and the reticence of a corrupt man anger-inducing, the continued suffering of Filipinos should be wrath worthy. They are the true victims of the generals and their patrons.

ellobofilipino:

Meanwhile in Jolo…

Gaaaaah.

It still astounds me that this stuff get’s very little play up here. I’ve seen more play time given to Egypt than the flooding in the South.

ellobofilipino:

Turning away from Egypt and the Senate hearing on corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines…

Butuan City in Mindanao’s Caraga Region has been flooded. According to the regional ABS-CBN news team, 80% of the city has been flooded.

By the way, the name of the city is pronounced as Boot-wan and not Bu-Tu-An, the latter pronunciation would make the locals smile.

Wow. That’s unbelievable. I know it’s easy sometimes to get caught up in the sensationalist side of media (I’ve been guilty the last few days of this) and forgetting that there are serious issues on-going in the rest of the country.

I just hope something is being done for them.