By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
Fresh from claiming credit for thousands of flood control projects in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Marcos saw the most devastating scourge of flooding in the capital and many parts of Luzon in his term of office.
Quickly, he pointed the blame on garbage disposed improperly and unsegregated, turning up at swelling rivers and tributaries, clogged pumping stations and drains, and flooded streets.
On the one hand, people should really be scolded, schooled (again), and reminded not to throw trash in the streets. What’s that Filipino saying that used to ring true for as long as we can remember? “Ang basurang itinapon mo ay babalik sa iyo.”
Gov’t accountability
Let us be clear, though, that the effects of climate change and improper garbage disposal, as cited by Marcos, are not the only factors that contributed to the recent flooding.
To be fair, even before he stepped in, the government’s approach to flood control was a glaring failure on multiple fronts. However, the President’s singing the same tune of blaming the citizenry seems to supplant government accountability.
As the group Agham pointed out, the flood crisis we just faced is a tragic combination of incompetence and neglect on the part of the government that endangers lives and livelihoods.
Failures
It is worth giving Agham’s comprehensive analysis of the situation some breadth in this corner since it outlined the major follies that led us to this.
First, it exposed the government’s narrow purview of the problem as reflected by its inadequate flood type differentiation, thereby resulting in misdirected policies and ineffective interventions.
Then, there are ineffective structural interventions despite billions in investments in structural flood control measures. These have proven woefully inadequate. Floodwaters continue to devastate communities because these efforts must be complemented by non-structural measures, such as land use policies and watershed rehabilitation, to provide a comprehensive solution.
Third, has the President checked if the handling of flood control funds is seriously void of corruption and misuse? We’re talking billions of pesos here. Without transparency and accountability in the allocation and expenditure of these funds, twice the crime is committed against every flood victim in the country.
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