Disaster Preparedness in the Time of La Niña

Screengrab from ABS-CBN 2’s Failon Ngayon.

CHEERS TO ABS-CBN 2’s Failon Ngayon for looking into the state of government’s pending flood-control projects as summer segued into the rainy season.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) announced the onset of the rainy season Tuesday, May 24. The weather bureau expects the El Niño or excessively dry period to end by the start of July. However, it also warned of the possibility of heavy rains and flooding with the onset of La Niña, or an excessively wet period.

In its May 28 episode, Failon Ngayon looked into how the government plans to mitigate flooding in the flood-prone areas of Metro Manila. While the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) claims to be ready for the incoming rainy season, Failon Ngayon revealed that major flood-control projects such as the Mandaluyong drainage system and the Blumentritt interceptor are yet to be completed despite years of construction.

The program also looked into the problem of clogged waterways in other urban settlements. The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Flood Control Unit identified garbage from informal settlements along waterways as the cause of clogging. Failon Ngayon learned from personnel of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, that only half of the informal settlers it targeted for relocation have yet to be relocated.

As the rainy season begins, flashfloods become more imminent. Reporting on the calamity management efforts of the government — or the lack thereof — helps promote disaster preparedness.