General Admission  

Floods are here but what else is new?

By Al S. Mendoza

 

I am a Manila boy.

Manila has always been the country’s major city:  Symbol of progress.

You elect to establish residence in Manila, that means you made it in Manila.

There is a saying that once you make it in New York City, you can survive anywhere in the world.

The same is true with Manila?

Make Manila your home and you can also live anywhere in the Philippines—with comfort and financial security?

Maybe.  Manila is an asphalt jungle where only the fittest and toughest survive.

In Manila, competition in all levels is as formidable as climbing Mt. Everest.

But again, what is a Manila boy?

He is one who lives in Metro Manila—with relative success.

Metro Manila is in Luzon and is the largest metropolis in the country.

It used to have four cities (Manila, Quezon, Makati and Caloocan) and 13 municipalities.

Today, almost all of the 13 Metro Manila municipalities have become cities, including Marikina, Valenzuela, Mandaluyong, Antipolo, Pasig, Muntinlupa, San Juan and many others.

You live in any of those cities and municipalities of Metro Manila, you are considered a Manila boy.

When I am either in the Visayas or Mindanao, or even overseas, and I’d find myself homeward bound, I say, “I’m going home to Manila.”

But in truth, home for me is Quezon City.

Lived, still living, in Quezon City for decades now.

As a Manila boy, I’ve known how to battle Metro Manila floods.

On foot while in college, I’ve conquered the dangers that lurked during metropolis flooding, including deadly manholes rendered invisible by floods.

Now fortunate to drive my own car, I have learned how to navigate myself out of dangerous floods, including undetected neck-high waters caused by sudden downpours.

What I am saying is, the rains are here again.

It can only mean one thing:  Floods will bedevil all of Metro Manila again.

As I said, I’ve been a Manila boy for decades, and I have, therefore, seen how floods have devastated Metro Manila.

Even many provinces today, including our beloved Pangasinan, aren’t spared by floods anymore.

Thus, floods might likewise engulf much of Pangasinan again if our San Roque Dam gets mishandled anew by its guardians.

Didn’t I say here a while back that releasing dam waters, which could kill, should require the green light from the president of the republic?

Many administrations before President Duterte have promised flood solutions.

Sadly, all failed—miserably.

Corruption’s the culprit—as always?

It is fervently prayed that with a trillion-peso budget secured recently for infrastructure, with much of it earmarked on curing Metro Manila flooding, Mr. Duterte will make a difference.  Finally?

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