THE FLOODWATERS are slowly receding.
Life in Macabebe is slowly returning to normal. Roads are opening. Businesses are trying to recover. Children are preparing to return to school.
But normal should not mean forgetting.
On Sept. 9, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon met with Pampanga officials to discuss immediate, medium-term and long-term flood-control measures. The plan includes work on the Arnedo Dike in Macabebe, dredging, pumping, detention basins and larger flood-control projects. But some of these projects may take years. One could take as long as 20 years.
So, the question is simple: What do we do while we wait?
We have just gone through almost two months of flooding. We have seen what works. We have also seen what does not.
For starters, it may be time to rethink how we raise roads.
Road elevation may protect an important road. But what happens to the houses beside it? Some are now left much lower than the road, and practically unliveable. For many families, raising their homes is simply beyond their means.
Before spending more millions, government should ask whether the project protects the whole community, or simply raise the road.
The same practical thinking should apply to disaster response.
Why not invest in proper high-clearance vehicles that can be used for rescue and “Libreng Sakay” during floods? Residents should not have to ride in dump trucks or garbage trucks simply because these are the vehicles available.
Relief operations also need a rethink.
Why should flooded residents line up for hours and wait for officials before receiving food? Relief should reach people where they are. Barangay officials already know where vulnerable families live. Why not bring the relief directly to their homes?
Relief should also be decent.
Families who have lost income and property should not have to worry about poor-quality, near-expiry or overpriced goods. Can the LGU negotiate with major manufacturers and retailers for better prices and better products?
A relief pack should provide food, not another reason for people to feel that they are receiving whatever is left over.
Now that the water is going down, the clean-up must begin.
Why not tap TUPAD workers to clear roads, esteros and waterways, remove flood debris and segregate waste? These are already recognized TUPAD activities. It’s about time they prove their worth in their respective communities.
The flood also exposed the garbage problem. Plastics and other non-biodegradable waste accumulated in waterways. Every household must take waste segregation seriously. Communities must enforce it.
We cannot demand clear waterways while continuing to fill them with garbage.
The long-term projects are important.
But Macabebe cannot simply wait for them.
While government builds the future, the LGU and the people must prepare for the next flood.
Because the next flood will not wait 20 years.
