reflections on the Manila monsoon floods

Almost 3 years have passed since Metro Manila has last suffered from intense rain and flooding brought about the typhoon Ondoy. For those of us who have managed to have lived through that disaster, we have hoped that a disaster of such proportion would not happen again in our lifetime at least.

But here we are at this point time, having managed again to live through another similar disaster, this time brought about not by a typhoon but by some strong monsoon storm that has ravaged not only Metro Manila but other parts of Luzon as well.

It is a scene that has become too eerily familiar to us now: images of flooded streets, rivers and dams overflown, people stranded or trapped in their homes awaiting rescue, ultimately turning much of the metropolis into a virtual waterworld wasteland, paralyzing much work operations and traffic at the same time. While the damage wrought by this monsoon storm was not as great as that brought about by Ondoy, it still has managed to bring damage that was reminiscent of the previous storm.

But at the same time, it was a time once again for the Filipino spirit of brotherhood and unity to shine through. It indeed brought the best among us Filipinos who manage to be hopeful and optimistic in spite of the tragedy.

At the same time, it also highlighted how, after what has happened during Ondoy, we still have a long way to go in keeping some of the lessons and plans to prevent another disaster of such magnitude. Proper urban planning, waste management, flood control programs, these plans have yet to be fully realized due to some reason or another, some of which have been subject to criticism already.

As they say, we hope for the best that things will get better but at the same time, we must brace ourselves for whatever worst things that may come ahead. And when the time happens, the question we must ask ourselves is: is Metro Manila better prepared by then?

© The Urban Roamer