With the rainy season come the challenges.
The proper government agencies are trying their best to minimize, if not eliminate, flooding especially in Metro Manila. That means a lot of clearing operations, de-clogging drains and sewers and canals, and cleaning up river networks.
The problem is they only do this when the rainy season sets in. And whether they actually have a long-term plan to address the problem is also a factor why perennial flooding is never fully addressed.
Yes, water recedes much faster now than it did years ago. But when vehicles are caught in a heavy downpour, or stormy weather, they will be crawling once water rises. They can also be stuck somewhere far longer than necessary because for certain, traffic would be horrendous.
There are areas - certain streets or districts - where it doesn't take much rainwater to cause instant flooding. So there's got to be something terribly wrong with the sewerage system for this to always recur.
As much as I appreciate the rain because it helps cool the temperature, reduces water costs when you have lots of plants to water, runs hydroelectric systems, and boosts agricultural production (provided it does not destroy crops), I cannot totally enjoy it here.
It's the flooding that dampens my spirit. Whether driving or commuting, it is a bigger hassle than necessary. With huge puddles and inconsiderate motorists, the likelihood of getting even more wet is a certainty.
Very few ever slow down when they see puddles or flooded roads with commuters waiting nearby for a ride. You might have walked carefully to avoid getting extremely wet up to the bus or jeepney stop, but once standing there waiting for a ride, some bus or car will come zipping by, its wheels creating this huge wave that splashes on you.
It's no better when you're driving and some jerk of a driver will overtake you even while negotiating a flooded portion of the road and splash your windshield with water! It's dangerous because it catches you off-guard and could mean losing control of your vehicle.
If there's one thing I learned driving through flooded streets, especially when the water is ankle- or shin-deep, it's to drive a bit slower than usual even if traffic is light. Just cross that area safely, then speed up.
I can't remember how many times I've had to drive through the flooded streets of Manila when I still worked with the newspaper in Port Area.
Floodwaters can rise knee-high in that area. It will subside a bit from the Manila Hotel along Roxas Boulevard until T.M. Kalaw near the Roundtable. Then prepare to turn amphibian near Manila City Hall up to Lawton.
Up Quezon Bridge will give you a reprieve, but approaching the Quiapo underpass, be ready to go amphibian again, while jostling with jeepneys and buses.
Most vehicles avoid Quezon Avenue (unless you're a truck, pick-up or bus, or some sturdy version of a car) because waters can rise up to the thighs or waist even.
I remember my youngest sister, who used to study in the University of Santo Tomas, coming home with her all-white uniform turned dark with filthy floodwater because she had to walk that road network to get home!
So, I often took the back roads, Maria Clara Street particularly, to come out at Welcome Rotunda. Even then, the waters along that long stretch of road were more than a foot high that you'd think only a pump boat could get across!
Try driving through there at 9 PM! I quickly learned the tricks to negotiating flooded roads - drive on second gear, let the car crawl because you never know what's ahead and as courtesy to other motorists (believe me it feels like you're on a bumpy boat ride when cars alongside you drive a little too fast when floodwaters are high!) , pump the brakes to dry them after crossing high waters, - and thank God, I never got stranded in such areas, or had the car engine die out on me while there.
It is this training that taught me to master driving on flooded streets, but I still hate it! I also realized not everyone knows how to negotiate floods, that's why they get stuck in the middle of nowhere. Good thing there are mobile phones now...
So, it still frustrates me that decades later, the situation has yet to improve. Waters still rise after hard rain, and traffic still gets snarled even with the slightest of rain because of slick roads and undisciplined drivers.
In the meantime, people have yet to learn about proper waste disposal, especially candy or biscuit wrappers, plastic bags, foil packs, and tetra boxes, among others. It's an entirely different situation when it comes to those who construct their homes near waterways and they end up dumping their trash outside their houses.
I remain a firm believer that it will take the full cooperation of the citizenry, and the timely action of government to ensure flooding will no longer be a problem not just in the metropolis but in every town and city across the country.
Lead image courtesy of philstar.com
This is something that happens in the same way in my country. It is as if I were writing it but talking about my cities. Here it doesn't matter if it is a capital city or a town. The same thing has always happened since I've known myself up to the age I am now, it has never changed. I understand your feelings.