Category: society

Madlum River Tragedy: A Tragedy That Could Be Avoided

It’s been a month since that fateful event happened. I was supposed to be on my way home when I learned how a friend of mine was facing a then unknown tragedy. Stalking his Facebook account, I read posts of condolences and encouragement for him to be strong. I seriously wondered what was happening. Scrolling down further, with an impending sense of doom, I read it. That cryptic, yet fatal, post.

bulacan tragedy
This was the initial report. Seven (7) were trapped in the middle of the river when the flash flood happened. Three (3) went missing and four (4) were confirmed dead on the same day. During the next days, the 3 missing ones were confirmed dead.

 

I was in shock. My friend’s brother was one of tragic victims of a supposed happy school excursion turned into a tragedy.

Death has never been a foreign experience for me. I’ve experienced love ones die almost yearly in the past decade. But death via tragedy is. It is the kind of death that catch us unaware – and leaves a deep scar in our heart – unknown when, if ever it would, heal.

I reached out to my friend, offering what pitiful amount of comfort I can. I wanted to personally visit but since I was on my way south, I wasn’t able to. And so, as soon as I got back to Manila, I visited him. And learned of what happened first hand.

Wrong on Many Levels

Rains were already forecasted to fall on that fateful day of August 19, 2014 and yet the tourism class of Mikhail Alcantara decided to push through with their field trip. They were to visit the Madlum Cave in San Miguel, Bulacan as part of the exposure trip for their course to which some students allege that if they join, they can be exempted from the final exams. Apparently, their teachers said that the field trip was a project and if they have a good report, it is possible for them not to go through a final exam. Hence, to the students’ perspectives, not joining the trip might mean a harder exam.

Wrong #1: Giving the students the impression that a field trip would mean an easy way out of an exam. Of course, who wouldn’t want a free pass?

The trek to visiting Madlum Cave is a challenging one. No wonder this cave was effectively used as a hiding point by the Katipuneros. It requires experienced tour guides enough for inexperienced trekkers. Crossing the river even involves holding unto ropes as the rocks are continually shifting and where one side can be shallow, the other side can be dangerously deep.

There were 180 students during the trip. They were escorted by only 3 teachers and 10 tour guides. Do the math and figure out how many students are assigned to each tour guide.

The victims were part of a batch of 40 students led by 4 tour guides – 2 local guides and 2 student guides. You’d think this is enough but judging by the difficulty of the trek – and the inexperience of the trekkers – there should have been more experienced guides to help them especially since part of the trek was crossing a dangerous river. Even trained police personnel find it hard to cross the river with its slippery rocks. What more kids in freshmen college?

Wrong #2: Not having enough experienced and professional guides to help students explore safely.

Students further claimed that when they started the trek, the teachers didn’t go with them and instead were left at the starting point for some videoke time. Basically, they were left to explore on their own. Teachers placed their trust completely on the tour guides and assumed the students, being in freshmen college, would be responsible enough for themselves.

Wrong #3: Delegating authority to others when parents have trusted you to be the one responsible.

Sometimes it is possible to rain in the mountain tops even if it is not yet raining in the lower parts of the mountain. This is the most likely cause of flash floods where excess water upstream gushes suddenly downstream. The protocol before making the trek up is to get in touch with local barangay officials who will coordinate with the watch groups in the upper parts as to the weather condition up top. None of these protocols happened that day.

Wrong #4: Ignoring protocols that were drafted in place to ensure the safety of anyone wishing to trek up the mountain.

It was even disheartening when a video surfaced wherein one student tour guide claimed that they warned the second batch of the type of weather during that moment. In the video, it can be seen how the group pushed through with the field trip despite the bad weather. Clearly, despite the threats of rain – and even the onset of rain – the trek still pushed through. Trekking in bad weather is never a good idea. The slippery slopes are also a threat to anyone’s safety and the potential for getting ill due to prolonged exposure to rains

Wrong #5: Pushing forth with an activity despite the bad weather. In fact, even planning a trekking trip during the rainy months is a WRONG move already.

 

These are just some of the many other reasons why the entire trip was wrong – deadly wrong. Disregard for safety measures of the students by the people who were supposed to safeguard them is blamed as the the primary cause of the tragedy. Parents felt that the school was negligent in looking after the welfare and safety of their children.

The school claimed that parents signed a waiver hence absolving the school from any untoward events that might happen in the event of a disaster. But, the school actually failed to get a CHED endorsement for the field trip – an endorsement that would require them to submit a “risk assessment plan”. Had they complied with this, then perhaps they could have assessed the obvious dangers of the trip and have mitigated the disaster that happened. This makes BSU liable for criminal, civil and administrative charges.

 

An Act of Nature

Many claimed that no one wanted the tragedy to happen. It was something no one could foretell. It was an act of nature. It was beyond anyone’s control.

Yes it was an act of nature that no one really wanted to happen. Yes, it was something no one could foretell and no one could control. These are facts that no one disputes. But it was something that could have been avoided. There were many things the school – the people responsible for the entire trip – could have done to PREVENT what happened. As I read somewhere – It is better to be safe a thousand times than to meet an accident once.

Moving Forward

Right now, a case has been filed in the Ombudsman to investigate the tragedy and to punish those responsible.

call for justice

A fact-finding report stated that visiting Madlum River was not part of the initial itinerary of the students, but the tour company decided to add it during the last minute. Madlum River is notable for catching tourists unaware with flash floods and this is not the first time tourists died there due to flash floods.

The families clarified that the case filed was not against the school and their goal is not to shutdown the school. Rather it was against the people who were supposed to be responsible but didn’t act responsibly.

A tragedy that could have been prevented is the worst type of tragedy. Having it happen to young people who had their lives well ahead of them makes the pain all the more acute and the cry for justice even louder. Filing a case will not erase the pain the families of the victims are going through. But making sure those responsible are held accountable for their actions would somehow lessen the ache they feel.

I hope what happened served as a lesson – a lesson for educators to act more responsibly, for tour guides to guide responsibly, and for everyone to be vigilant about their safety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHFHxNCqDdM

This video gives you a chilling feel of how it must have been in those last moments during that fateful day.

Battle For The Net

If you woke up tomorrow, and your internet looked like this, what would you do? Imagine all your favorite websites taking forever to load, while you get annoying notifications from your ISP suggesting you switch to one of their approved “Fast Lane” sites. Think about what we would lose: all the weird, alternative, interesting, and enlightening stuff that makes the Internet so much cooler than mainstream Cable TV. What if the only news sites you could reliably connect to were the ones that had deals with companies like Comcast and Verizon?

On September 10th, just a few days before the FCC’s comment deadline, public interest organizations are issuing an open, international call for websites and internet users to unite for an “Internet Slowdown” to show the world what the web would be like if Team Cable gets their way and trashes net neutrality.

Net neutrality is hard to explain, so our hope is that this action will help SHOW the world what’s really at stake if we lose the open Internet.

If you’ve got a website, blog or tumblr, get the code to join the #InternetSlowdown here: https://battleforthenet.com/sept10th

Everyone else, here’s a quick list of things you can do to help spread the word about the slowdown: http://tumblr.fightforthefuture.org/post/96020972118/be-a-part-of-the-great-internet-slowdown

Get creative! Don’t let us tell you what to do. See you on the net September 10th!

via Battle For The Net.

 

What is net neutrality?

Net Neutrality is the Internet’s guiding principle: It preserves our right to communicate freely online.

 

Net Neutrality means that the cable/telecom companies must provide us with open networks — and should not block or discriminate against any applications or content that ride over those networks. Just as your phone company cannot decide who you could call and what you say on that call, your ISP should not be concerned with what content you view or post online.

Net Neutrality is what enables the Internet to be such a hotbed for innovation. If you bring a new service online, the cable/telecom companies should deliver it just like they’d deliver content from a corporate behemoth like Google or NBC.

 

Net Neutrality is what gives every startup the same chance to reach customers and users as any existing company. Simply, without Net Neutrality, startups and small business will be subject to discrimination based on a pay-to-play Internet, and the open Internet and the economic growth it has represented will be at risk.

 

What are we fighting against?

On May 15, 2014, the Federal Communications Commission proposed rules that would permit rampant discrimination online, undermining Net Neutrality. The FCC’s proposal would be a huge boon for the cable companies and would undermine the Internet as we know it.

 

Under the proposed rules, cable giants like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon would be able to create a two-tiered Internet, with slow lanes (for most of us) and fast lanes (for wealthy corporations that are willing pay fees in exchange for fast service).

 

Cable companies would have the power to discriminate against online content and applications — they could pick winners and losers, shake sites down for fees, block content for political reasons, and make it easier for Internet users to view cable content. (For instance, Comcast owns NBC, and so has incentives to make it easier to view NBC content than that of other providers.)

Me – A Conyo?

We used to make fun of them – the conyo kids – way back in college. I used to disdain their seemingly exasperating mixed use of the English and Filipino language. There was Taglish, then there was just pure conyo.

Fast forward several years later, it’s such a surprise for me when I catch myself becoming conyo.

You know, it’s like speaking in English only that minsan mag-shift ka bigla to Tagalog. And then you’re like mega shocked at how your brain naturally process such mixed language and then di mo na alam san nangagaling yung mga sinasabi mo coz it’s like really weird and stuff, you know?

See. Writing that bit wasn’t so hard. My brain just naturally composed the words.

I pride myself in having a good command of the English language and a decent command of Filipino. I can write and express myself in both though I do so more easily in English. And yet the beauty of the pure Filipino language is not lost to me too.

This month we are celebrating the National Language Month a.k.a. Buwan ng Wika. It used to be a week – Linggo ng Wika then it expanded to a month. Yet this group is advocating that commemoration of our National Language should not be confided to a week or a month but should rather be a year-long observance. We can have a Pinoy Arts and Culture Month where we commemorate Pinoy pride but observance of Buwan ng Wika should be year-long according to them.

Their argument: dedicating a whole month shows just how much of a colonial mentality we actually have. For we see people who, when the month has ended, ends also their observance of the uniquely Pinoy customs they were forced to observe during Buwan ng Wika i.e. speaking in Filipino, wearing Barong Tagalog and the like.

Reading that Rappler article has reminded me of probably the most viewed and most controversial post I had circa 2011. It’s about James Soriano and his controversial article attacking the Filipino language. Many were irked by his article and so it had to be taken down from the net. But not before people had downloaded or copied it. Essentially, that article explored the connection of speaking Filipino to actually having an identity as a Filipino.

My being a conyo is a testament to how our language is evolving. I won’t be surprised when time comes and our National Language is no longer Filipino but Taglish. I mean it’s really easy and natural for many people these days to speak in a conyo manner. Maybe some are not as flamboyant as others but fact remains that it’s still Taglish.

Language reflects the identity and culture of the people using it. In a society where majority of workers are in the BPO industry, you can’t blame if there’s a rise of so-called conyo kids. They may not necessarily have the wealth of the traditional conyo kids, but the way they talked, you’d think they do if not for the identification badge stating which call center company they’re part of.

Globalization has greatly impacted the way we use our language. Since Filipino has not been deeply ingrained in us before the Americans came and converted us to an English-speaking nation, it can’t be helped that we haven’t naturally developed a love or a flair for the language unlike our Asian counterparts who have developed strong affinity for their language and hence you can see the strength of their culture. Wonderful examples are South Korea and Japan. Just look around you and you will see Pinoys wishing they could speak either Nihonggo or Korean just so they can understand or better relate to their pop idols. The Koreans and Japanese, despite not embracing English as a natural language became so successful in promoting their own language and identity. We can conclude then that loving their language led to a natural love for their own culture.

In the past I have advocated the strengthening of the Filipino language so we can eventually develop a sense of identity. However, today, even CHED mandates that Filipino GE subject need not be part of the required core subjects and can instead be an optional course for just anyone who wish to take it. And knowing how it’s Filipino, I am doubtful how many would want to do that. So how can we encourage a deeper sense of identity through the use of language?

I guess the conyo language identifies who we are. I guess this new breed language defines our very identity as a nation. What I see is a nation of mixed breeds. A nation who in adapting from other cultures have formed a culture distinctively their own. A nation whose culture is so dynamic it is perpetually evolving.

If before I see the conyo language as a negative thing – a hindrance to our growth as a country, today I see it as a language we need to embrace.

And I don’t think that’s even remotely connected to my discovery that I am already a conyo. 😉

Intelligence is Sexy

Saying that intelligent woman cannot find a suitable mate and have higher chances of remaining single is like dooming the entire human population to a generation of dimwits. In fact, any man should be grateful to find an intelligent woman for it will assure him that his lineage will have an intelligent gene pool. It is not the girl’s fault to be intelligent. It is the guy’s fault to be cowardly.

Intelligent women are more likely to be single.

I’ve encountered this statement twice and consistently, my ears flared out. Being an intelligent woman, I totally beg to disagree from this statement which was expounded in detail in this article. The article claimed that:

Ignorant women get the man and intelligent women never feel bliss.

It goes on to further state that:

They (men) want a woman who is dumb enough to make them a priority and, unfortunately, for all those sane, rational and intelligent women out there, there’s a hefty number of these women out there.

There are plenty of women who will give up their lives for men, who will refuse to challenge them, fight them and refuse to see them as their equals, but their saviors.

Females with high intelligence in male/female relationships were seen as problematic.

…. Whereas, high intelligence in the male partner was not seen as problematic, but desirable.

The article is sickening to read. It goes on to detail that men often feel insecure with intelligent women and would rather look for dumb ones who will make the men – and the kids afterwards – the priority. It goes to state that intelligent women often go after good degrees and good careers to the neglect of a successful relationship.

Intelligence breeds ambition, which breeds neglect.

Continue reading “Intelligence is Sexy”

Israel vs Arabs: Who is to blame?

The Middle East conflict is possibly the simplest of all world conflicts. One wants the other dead. However, the solution is far from simple.

Everyday I thank God that I live in a world devoid of war. Yes, there are challenges in our society which many may construe as war but I am grateful that I do not live in a place where a literal war is going on.

Recently, I heard the first-hand account of a pastor who has been to the land of Israel on a mission trip and witnessed the on-going war. He narrated how he would hear bombs explored over his head in the morning, at night, in the middle of a wedding, in the middle of Sunday worship and in many other instances. Israel was being bombed day-in and day-out that it was commonplace to hear loud wailing sirens signalling for the people to enter bomb shelters to avoid being a casualty.

It was also amazing how Israel has this advanced technology called the Iron Dome who can intercept bombs and cause them to explode in the air. Thanks to this technology, many of the people and structures were saved.

He further narrated how the news are all wrong in citing Israel as the culprit in the war. It is actually the Hamas (the Palestinians) who are the culprit for attacking, over and over again, Israel. Israel never wished to fight. They merely wanted to live in peace. But it was when the Hamas broke the line by killing innocent young Israelis that they had to stand up and defend themselves. Hence the bombing that killed thousands more of Palestinian youth. It is cruel but I say that the Palestinians had it coming. Besides, they are so obsessed with obliterating Israel that they even send suicide bombers to Israeli cities – Palestinians with strapped bombs wreaking havoc in Israel.

War is ugly. It is not a thing of beauty. It is something best left to the movies but must never be glorified. In war, every side loses. Even the supposed winner is a loser for the victory gained is claimed in exchange of lives lost. No one really wins in war.

The Middle East conflict where the Arab Nations vs Israel, a Jewish Nation is a simple conflict – possibly the simplest of all world conflicts. One wants the other dead. However, the solution is far from simple – it is a complicated one.

Who is to blame for the said conflict? The video below explains the whole conflict in a very simple way. And from there you can form your own conclusion on who is to blame.

Late Night Reflections on Typhoon Yolanda

It’s late and I’m supposed to be sleeping for tomorrow is another work day. It feels as if everything this side of the world is so normal when in fact, a few hundred miles south from here, severely catastrophic towns exist. Towns which I have visited countless times when I was young. Towns which holds fond childhood memories for me. Towns where loved ones whose conditions remain unknown reside.

Typhoon Yolanda brought destruction never before seen in the Philippines. Entire towns and cities washed away. Destruction and death lay at her wake. People hopeless and desperate – not knowing how they can ever rise again. Businesses looted by hungry victims as security forces – the little of who were left – stood by and watched helplessly.

I really don’t know what to say. I remain at a loss for words. I have packed everything I can send to help. I have planned to sell whatever I can to have some cash to donate. I long to still be in the thick of things, helping out in whatever way I can – repacking, distributing, reporting. The devastation is so vast, the task at hand is so big – where do we start? Where do they begin to rebuild their lives?

I am grateful our province was spared. There were some coastal towns who were also badly affected but other than that everything is now back to normal. On the day the storm hit close to our place, I was locked inside my room, unable to sleep soundly. I can hear the howling winds and feel it beat against the walls and roof of our house. There were moments when everything would be silent – then the howling would begin once again. It was a storm of winds and less of rain. The rain was bearable but the winds were not. To this date, when the storm has long passed and our nights are much calmer, I can sometimes hear the winds howling in my mind and the accompanying fear of what it could do in the dead of the night.

But what I experienced was way less than what those who were near the eye of the storm experienced. They felt the brunt of the wind 4-5 times what I felt. Plus, they experienced majority of the rain. But what was worse were the storm surges – a term which until recently held no meaning for me. I have never encountered the term storm surge and like many other people have no idea of the damage it entailed. Had I known storm surge would mean tidal waves that could create floods 10 feet deep, I would have been scared but nonetheless better prepared. I believe the same could be true for the hundreds who drowned, all because they didn’t understand the term and did not seek higher grounds thinking where they evacuated was enough.

It is heartbreaking to see the photos of devastation. It is heart wrenching to hear the pleas of people for food, water and shelter and to see those who lost loved ones moving along like zombies without aim or purpose. Restoration of power they say would take 2 months, and that is being optimistic. Restoration of communication lines is hoped to happen sooner. From there relief goods could be delivered to even the remotest hit area. But debris has yet to be cleaned from roads to unblock them. Houses and establishments have to be rebuilt. Hospitals, schools, government buildings, churches and other public spaces have to be re-constructed to better serve the affected people. Businesses have to re-establish themselves as they re-stock and fix their establishments. Whole towns and cities have to be reconstructed and repaired.

But more than the physical repair that would take 2 – 6 months at most, the people’s faith, hope and lives have to be reconstructed as well. Hope has to be re-instilled in their hearts that things will turn out for the better despite the massive destruction and the immense trial they have been through. Faith has to be strengthened in their minds that they have the capacity to rebuild their lives and that there is still an Almighty that looks after them. Their lives are severely battered. Those who lost families might have lost the will to live. Some have already migrated to other places leaving their destructed town believing that their lives there are over.

More than the cash and in-kind donations we send out to them, prayers would still be a lot of help. For as the cash and in-kind donations would provide them with the basic necessities of food, clothes and shelter, our prayers will help strengthen their resolve and give them hope, faith and their lives back again.

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On Halloween Parties and Cemetery Visits

Today we celebrate All Soul’s Day. The day when we are supposed to commemorate our dearly departed loved ones. In the past week, we celebrated Halloween, a foreign celebration that has slowly crept in to the Filipino consciousness. Recently, the CBCP urged people that instead of donning frightening costumes during Halloween, Filipinos should wear super hero costumes or better yet imitate saints since our country celebrates All Saint’s Day and not Halloween. They were afraid that the scary costumes will create traumatic experiences in the child and the apparent glorification of frightening characters will pay homage to the evil side of the world. 

Growing up, I was never aware that Halloween ever existed in the Philippines. I would read about it in foreign books and watch about it in movies but I’ve always known that trick or treat and Halloween costumes were for the kids in the West. But I guess capitalism has found its way in our shores in yet another form – Halloween. Halloween gives us another reason to spend on costumes and parties and find a way to celebrate a merry occasion without much regard to the roots or meaning of it. It’s as if all the festivals and fiestas in our country is not enough that we have to still find another reason for celebration during October 31. 

Cemetery visits on the other hand have moved from becoming the once solemn and peaceful visits they used to be to a venue for merry making and for some, income generation. A trip to the cemetery on November 1 would be like a visit to a bustling night market where street foods of all variations abound. The cemetery likewise is filled with kids running around and adults taking and laughing boisterously. There are also foods and music in some unrestrained places. Filipinos have yet found another reason to celebrate and be merry. 

The adoption of Halloween parties and the merry making in cemeteries is yet another testament to the positive and merry Filipino spirit. Despite the challenges we all face, we always find time to celebrate and be happy. In the end, I guess there is nothing wrong with celebrating Halloween, so long as we know that it is just for fun and nothing to be serious about. Likewise, it should be that parents must always educate their children about the celebration. I believe that a sound explanation of all these gory costumes and how belief in the Lord Jesus makes us victors against them, would instill in the kids that there is nothing to be afraid of because we have the power to conquer the evil in this world.

Also, I guess that if it does get rowdy in the cemetery at times, then we should just respect those who choose to have a party in celebration of the demise of their dearly departed. After all, they must be probably happy that the dead loved one is now in a better place. For those seeking the solitude and solemnity of the celebration, I believe there is always November 2 and every other day of the year to visit graves in full solitude and commemorate the lives of the dearly departed.

Marinduque Mining Disaster

Since today was a holiday, I decided to update my blog and publish the contents I wrote about my Marinduque trip earlier this year. As I was publishing and updating them, I came across an article in Inquirer.

The news article discussed how the Marinduque government will settle for a $20 Million compensation following Philippines worst mining disaster in 1996. This sum is way below the actual cost of damages amounting to close to $100 Million. However, the government is being forced into accepting the settlement because they see no other option since the prosecuted firm – Barrick is merely a firm which purchased the original perpetrators Placer Dome Inc. and who are now rumored to be losing billions. Fearing a repeat of the past wherein the sued company  (Placer Dome Inc.) had to file for bankruptcy and be saved by another company (Barrick Gold) which would lead to the start of a new round of litigations, Marinduque is close to accepting the $20 Million compensation which after litigation fees would amount to $13.5 Million – a sum barely enough to compensate for the damage brought about to the Boac River and the people of Marinduque.

In 1996, Marinduque witness one of the worst mining disasters in the Philippines when a fracture in the drainage tunnel of a large pit containing left over mine tailings from the operations of Marcopper Mining, a Canadian-owned mining firm, discharged toxic-mine waste into the Makulaprit-Boac river system leading to flash floods in areas along the river. The worst case was that of Bgy. Hinapulan wherein the entire barangay was submerged in 6-feet of muddy waters and 400 families had to be displaced. Other villages also had to be evacuated, drinking water became contaminated and animals both freshwater and livestock were killed. Crop and irrigation channels were clogged destroying crops and vegetable gardens as river water were displaced by tailings. The aftermath of the disaster rendered Boac River unusable and saw residents harboring beyond tolerable limits of zinc and copper in their blood system. After the disaster, Marcopper, who started mining operations in the province in 1969 ceased their operations in 1996.  But in the years to follow, numerous health diseases cropped up such as children found to have high levels of lead in their blood.

It was only in October 2005 that the provincial government of Marinduque sued Placer Dome, Marcopper’s parent company, for $100 Million in damages. In 2006, Placer Dome was purchased by Barrick Gold who has now joined in the lawsuit.

After reading the Inquirer news item and researching the facts related to the case, it became clear in my mind the irregularities I had witnessed during my visit in Marinduque. For one, I had witnessed huge river systems without water and seemingly dead. When I asked a local if their river system is usually dry during the summer, they said that it is really dry all year out however they experience floods in the area during the typhoon season. The local also complained that the river, since running water no longer passes through it, has become a convenient garbage dumping site.

Likewise, I had witnessed huge carvings in the mountains located in the middle of the island. Signs of “NO TO MINING” were plastered in most areas although at that time they remain unobtrusive to the usual tourist. Furthermore, on my hike up Mt. Malindig, I noted that the mountain was mostly denuded – depleted of the natural rainforest typical in most mountains – and instead replaced by crops such as arrowroot, corn, and taro and planted with lines of trees such as coconut.  And most interestingly enough, I noted that the villagers living in the mountaintops mostly appeared to be well-off citizens of the province.

At that time, I noted that something seemed amiss but I wasn’t able to aptly put my finger on it. It was only after uncovering all these facts about the Marcopper Mining Disaster that things started to become clear.

As of the moment, the provincial government hasn’t accepted the offer. But they are close to doing so since they are averse to fighting the long fight towards justice. But if it were up to me, I would fight the long fight. Accepting the pitiful settlement amount, although better than nothing, is still a disservice to the extent of the damages done both to the environment and the local residents of Marinduque. But then again, political agenda come into play in this instance and to uncover the real political deals in Marinduque and how it relates to the Marcopper Mining Disaster will be a topic for another story.

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Experiencing Flooded Manila

For the past 3 days already, I have been stuck in my condotel due to the heavy rains and flooded streets in Metro Manila. Although technically, the private corporations have not suspended work and I can easily go to the office to report, my co-workers who come from farther parts of the Metropolis are either stranded or worst, flooded, and hence can’t come to work. So rather than coming to the office to report to an empty space, it will be better to simply stay inside as advised by government agencies.

But being stuck inside in this weather, miles away from home, although comfortably dry and well-provisioned, is anything but fun. It does get boring after a day and a half of virtually doing nothing, just sitting in front of the computer. Soon, movie marathons become passe and staring at Facebook status and Twitter feeds become mind numbing. Reading online articles lose their appeal and I would want nothing more than to simply go out there and be part of the action.

Of course, I can be a volunteer but on second thought, I’d rather stay inside and keep dry. After all, despite everything being familiar, I am still on foreign grounds.

Metro Manila, in the past, didn’t get flooded this bad. I recall that it was my hometown in Bicol which was regularly afflicted with stormy weathers and the constant recipient of donated relief goods. But now, it seems the tides have changed and areas which didn’t use to be affected are now severely affected. So the question, begging to be answered, is why?

I found this information post in Facebook which summarizes the answer to that question – WHY?

10 Reasons Why It Floods in Manila

By:  Paulo Alcazaren

It’s the rainy season once again and we face the yearly problem of flooding in Metro Manila. I keep getting calls from broadcast media asking for interviews about the problem, its historical origins and urban redevelopment solutions. Giving these interviews I feel like a broken record enumerating the reasons for floods in the metropolis, so I figure it would be good just to list them once and for all. This list may not contain all the reasons but these, in my opinion, are the major ones:

1. It floods because it rains. The rains and the typhoons that bring them have increased in magnitude. Yes, it’s Climate Change. To deny this is futile. It’s here now and makes all historical flood levels well, history. The paths of typhoons have also become unpredictable (not that we have enough weather men to predict them—many of our good ones have left for better-paying jobs overseas). Typhoons now cross parts of the archipelago that did not use to have them regularly and so people are caught unprepared. Despite these changes in patterns, Metro Manila still gets dumped with rain, especially since its total area, and population in this area, is equivalent or larger than most provinces and many regions in the country.
2. It floods because of population and urbanization. Metro Manila has a population of 12 million and counting. Urbanization, specifically urban sprawl is a manifestation of all these millions living together and needing houses, buildings, roads, parking lots and infrastructure. All these cover ground that used to be open and which used to be able to absorb much of the storm water that fell on the metropolis. In our lifetimes we’ve seen fringes of the metropolis gobbled up and transformed from cogon and rice fields to thousands of subdivisions, hundreds of shops and malls, hectares of paved-over parking lots, dozens of business districts. All this hard covering serves to channel all the storm water much faster into an already inadequate drainage system designed decades ago when the reality was much more open land and much less rain. The open ground before served to mitigate the volume of rain that flowed into these drains, esteros and our rivers. We also had more plant cover and trees in the metropolis to help sop up all this water. Our previously open parks are now covered too with all manner of government buildings or basketball courts and parking lots.

Photo Credit: Paulo Alcazaren
Photo Credit: Paulo Alcazaren

3. It floods because the rain comes down from denuded uplands. Metro Manila floods come from elevated surrounding regions, all the way up to the Sierra Madres. There, we have lost almost all of our original forest cover from illegal logging. All this forest cover lost makes millions of hectares of upland a bald watershed that flows freely into the metropolis. This situation is repeated around almost all major urban areas in the country. The source is upstream and this is where solutions should start, although it is among the longest-term solutions. We need to recover our forest cover to reduce the amount of rain that floods our low-level metropolis.
4. Metro Manila is not only low but it is sinking. Ground water extraction due to deep wells is causing major areas of the metropolis to sink. The north section of CAMANAVA and the southern cities from Pasay onwards have sunk from a foot to over a meter and this has made those areas more vulnerable to floods and storm surges. Scientists have pointed to the fact that this flattening has increased the reach of storm surges from the seaside to as much as twenty kilometers inland. So we get it from both ends in a perfect storm—from the mountains and from the sea. The ground is also sinking due to the weight of all that concrete, buildings and infrastructure mentioned in reason no. 2 above.
5. It floods because we have less drainage than before. Reports have it that we have lost almost half of our metropolitan esteros and canals. We used to have over forty kilometers of them and now we only have about twenty. Many have been lost to development, disappearing without a trace (now it regularly floods where they used to be of course).
6. It floods because many of those esteros, canals and waterways of our metropolis we have left are chock-full of informal settlers. Because there are no alternatives for low-income mass housing, desperate people settle in desperate areas. These settlements have little by way of solid waste management and sewers. All these go to the waterways, filling many of them so solid that dogs can cross over them. And we wonder why it floods. Many of these drainage ways and easements were identified in the several master plans made for Manila and Quezon City. Planners over half a century ago had allocated as much as 50 meters of space on either side of these but greed set in and these easements disappeared and what little was left are now our favelas teeming with millions.
7. It floods because the main flood control system started in the 70s was never completed. The Manggahan floodway was only one half of the picture. It was meant to channel floodwater into Laguna de Bai. The lake was meant only as a holding area and the excess water was to have been flushed from there to Manila Bay via the Paranaque spillway. That spillway was never built. To build it now would cause trillions and urban sprawl has seen its path covered with more millions of people and thousands of structures.
8. It floods because what little left of our drains and flood control infrastructure is ill-maintained. Reaching many of them is a problem because of informal settlements. Overlapping jurisdictions of local and national agencies conspire to dissipate responsibility and funding for this vital task of ensuring our drains are unclogged and free. It’s just like homeowners not cleaning their gutters of debris before a rainy season. When the typhoons come the gutters overflow.

9. It floods because urban development is un-planned and unfettered. Mega-developments that see clusters of 30-40 story towers on retail podiums surrounded by hectares of parking cause havoc in districts planned with drainage infrastructure meant for low-density development. Because there is a lack of planning context (actually a lack of any planning at all) all drainage, road and traffic infrastructure is useless to carry the additional load—that’s why most flooded areas are also traffic-clogged.

10. The final reason it floods in this short list (and there are many other reasons) is politics. Metro Manila is made up of 16 cities and one town (Pateros). Floods do not respect political boundaries and will flow from one city to the next yet we continue to address flooding (as well as all other urban problems) within the confines of individual LGUs. It does not make sense. Politics also conspires to keep informal settlers where they are because they represent votes. The overlapping jurisdictions is also exacerbated by another layer—that of national government and yet a third layer on top of these, that of the MMDA. The ultimate fourth layer of discord is the fact that the source of floods is beyond the political jurisdiction of Metro Manila and in the hands of the provinces around it. Any sustainable solution to flooding must be at this regional context and the assumption that, within the metropolis, governance is rationalized to address this one big problem as one effort, not the uncoordinated effort of seventeen government units, the MMDA and national agencies. Politics has divided and conquered us …and it is also drowning us in yearly and constant floods.

Feedback is welcome. Please email the writer at paulo.alcazaren@gmail.com.

Given the above reasons, what is the best way to solve this flooding problem in Metro Manila? I say, we begin providing solutions for the 10th reason above. LGUs, not just in Metro Manila but also in the adjoining regions should come together as one and share the responsibility of addressing the solutions for the other reasons provided. If you look at it, it is never too late to start solving today’s problems for a brighter tomorrow. All it takes is the discipline and the drive to actually do something about all this.

Have a safe and dry week everyone!

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  • Floods Cover More Than Half of Manila (theepochtimes.com)
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The Klout and Me

I should be definitely writing my term paper and business plan for my MBA. But then, I am uninspired to write such technical papers especially when I already have all the answers (at least I think I do) in my head. So, here I am, catching up on my blogging, writing about a topic I long found fascinating and have wanted to write about.

Normally, I would not start at such a personal note, especially since I have been striving to be more of a third person, aloof type of writer for this blog, but then again, from the very title itself – this blog is a reflection of my thoughts so I’ll have as many first person and Ace-personality in it as I want it to have.

So now, what is this KLOUT in the title? Recently – that is, about a month ago – I came across this concept of a Klout score. I was browsing several job adverts in the social media category and I saw one which required the applicant to have an above average Klout score. I wondered, what is a klout score? And so I turned to my trusty Google for the answer.

KLOUT

Klout, is essentially an online site that measures, based from a set of proprietary algorithms, your influence in the social media world. Although size matters (the number of followers or friends you have), ultimately, it is the amount of interaction (retweets, likes, comments) that you get from each post or tweet that determines your Klout score.

klout

 

What is its benefit? Anyone who has a high Klout score is given perks coming from brands who want to create brand advocates by tapping the influential persons out there and hoping that these people would turn in a positive word or two about them to their massive followers. People have been known to receive hotel room upgrades, the latest gadgets – either to own or try, and various other amenities, services and products.

Lately, it has also been a requirement to get into a job – something most found alarming as years of experience in an industry suddenly becomes invaluable as compared to a Klout score. Here in the Philippines, its far from happening but in the US, it has already happened. This is essentially true if one is a seasoned marketer looking for work in the digital, specifically, social media industry.

Of course Klout received numerous criticisms. A lot of people were skeptical about the proprietary algorithms used to calculate one’s influence. But in the digital world, very few are actually aware of how things are done or made remotely possible. That is why, one of the skills I’ve vowed to acquire is to learn, at least the basic, of coding. Just as I am enhancing my knowledge on Photoshop, so must I also brush up on my skills in programming.

But beside the point, as a brand manager, I can see the potential in targeting people with high Klout scores for perks in my brand. That way, I can get them to promote my brand ensuring more customers.

So where do I go with this Klout score? Although I admit that a program who rates Justin Bieber as more influential than Obama has some faults of its own, I cannot argue over the fact that having a pretty decent Klout score is a source of ego on my end. I admit, it is a boost of confidence to know that your influence mark is higher than most people.

But if I dig deeper into it, can I really say that I, a mere employee with the occasional robust Twitter interactions has more influence than my boss, an award-winning entrepreneur in the local scene? I guess not.

But, for the world I plan to enter, cultivating a healthy Klout score might come in handy.

 

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