This is not about an attraction located in España Boulevard in Manila.
Even if it were an attraction, it’s not something people would be exactly proud of.
I’m talking about that perennial problem of flooding along the stretch of España Boulevard, turning almost the entire length of the road into a sunken wasteland.
It’s also one of those times of the year that the University of Santo Tomas (UST) gets a different monicker, the Drowning Tigers.
As far as the Urban Roamer remembers, flooding in España has been a problem for a very long time. Sadly, it only gets worse every year as garbage disposal and road maintenance issues have not yet been addressed much (if not at all) by the city and national government agencies..
The latest incident of flooding in the area on August 22, 2009 (when these photos were taken) caused by a heavy downpour and thunderstorms during the wee hours in the morning, has brought Manila traffic to a standstill yet again. It was so bad that by early afternoon (around 1-2 AM) floods were still deep, even though the rains long stopped. Manila traffic police had to dissuade vehicles in España go beyond the intersection along Lacson Avenue due to the deepening floods there.
This problem has been around for so long that resolving it seems to be a Quixotic task. (which incidentally is named after that famous fictional character who has a street in the area named after him) But until the city and national government agencies get their act together to address this issue, expect España Waterworld to continue being an unwanted attraction for frustrated residents, students, employees and commuters there for some time to come.
©2009 The Urban Roamer
