Dagupan ‘Waterworld’ City

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

FOR weeks and days, most parts of Dagupan were underwater. It was not hit by anything like Pepeng and Quiel of the past but simply by monsoon rains and high tide!

While residents are still in denial about the prospect of seeing Dagupan transform into another Malabon, one still wonders if the seeming flooding in our streets and of homes will soon end. The fact is, flooding will be here to stay…watch out for Dagupan ‘Waterworld’ City.

The seeming silver lining I can see is a news item from the city hall that Mayor Benjie Lim is on top of the situation. So it seems, Mr. Lim is still very capable of doing the right thing the right way if he chooses to.

The city hall says it is already undertaking initial studies to address the regular flooding in many parts of the city, to determine most threatened areas and worst prospects.  This means that while we can look forward to arriving at mitigating solutions, the long-term solution cannot possibly be adopted in the foreseeable future. Frankly, perhaps not in many of the baby-boomers’ lifetime.

So the only remaining thing to do is – prepare for the high tide every month, at the very least, and for monsoon rains or typhoons if and when they occur!

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NOT ANOTHER TSUNAMI HILL. As Mr. Lim correctly stated, flooding in the city  (and in many parts of Pangasinan) “is the compounded effect of global warning, high tide, land subsidence, as well as the naturally low elevation of the city.”

I share his prediction that a big part of the city will be underwater in the next fifteen years. In fact, a number of structural design experts in the country are already convinced that sizable tracts of land in Luzon will soon be underwater permanently in a decade or two.

However, his proposal to simply raise the elevation of all infrastructures in the city by at least one meter to mitigate the situation is too simple a solution for a complex problem. I hope he is not thinking of starting the construction of overpasses next month after making that proposition. (I remember him using this tact before he started building that ridiculous Tsunami Hill that would cost the city P10 million.  He raised the possibility of tsunami hitting the city and before the technical experts could even assess the proposal, he had the project bidded out!).

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WANTED OVERSEAS ENGINEERS. The news, therefore, that the city is already conducting vulnerability and hazard assessments is very reassuring. I hope the provincial government has already undertaken its own.

This corner recommends that homegrown kabaleyans who have had extensive experiences in their careers overseas as civil and structural engineers be tapped and invited by the provincial and city governments for their views and recommendations. After all, who else would know the province and the city better and the best approach possible than our local boys who have acquired a lot of exposure to advancements in structural designs and community development planning? With new modern communication technology, they can very well carry on a discussion from their respective areas without need to leave their places of work overseas.

A “call to arms” by the provincial and city government and civic-professional groups will surely result in a chorus response of “Ayes” from Pangasinenses wherever they are!

In Dagupan’s case, what Mr. Lim needs to do is to convince Dagupenõs that this is one activity where he and his onor-onors and lackeys will not dip their dirty fingers into opportunities for illegal profits.

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ONOR-ONORS’ COMEUPPANCE.  Speaking of the “P1.5 million onor-onors” in the Dagupan city council, the buzzword in the city hall is they are bent on pushing for the sale of the MC Adore and the Calasiao property as their “Judas-payback” to their new master (for life) Mayor Lim.

Obviously, they believe that they will never be indicted over the issue since they can easily correct the defect of the resolution they hastily passed last April 20.  To them, I say “Good luck!”

My brotherly advice to them: Take time review the case of a board member and members of the awards and bids committee who were indicted by the Ombudsman for showing “unusual interests”, from the preparation of the resolution to the bidding in the land deal pursued by the governor of Cebu.

Should they carry on with their arrogance, there is nothing more that will please Dagupeños than to see them meet their comeuppance for being “so young and so corrupt”!

How’s this for a future headline:  “Ombudsman indicts 9 onor-onors: 2 Reynas, Canto, Coquia, Samson, Lim, Erfe-Mejia, Vallejos, Gonzales”

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SK PUNKS.  The decision of the city prosecutor to indict Dagupan Councilor and SK Federation chairman Chester Gonzales and his cohorts Jamez Calderon, SK chairman of Pantal; and Billy Tuliao, SK chairman of Caranglaan City (see page 1 story), it is incumbent upon both the city mayor and the city council to direct their suspension from their posts until after they have earned their acquittal. To do no less is to set a wrong precedent in instilling the highest standards of conduct for those who hold public office and public trust.

The three are definitely not role models in their communities, but an embarrassment to the city’s SK organization. I hope no one will be so inclined to defend the three to remain in their posts for that would even be more scandalous!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!. I wish to greet Benjie Lim, a friend and former business associate, a happy birthday (August 20)! I sure wish circumstances for him today were different.  My wishes for him – May he continue to sing like the cool balladeer that he is, and may Dagupan City see a reformed mayor soon!

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