Metro Manila floods due to improper waste management, not reclamation projects — PRA
'Ang basura ay sadyang problema na even before the reclamation projects, meaning, perennial problem na ito. Kung maayos lang sana at ma-manage nang tama, at hindi lang local government units ang pwedeng tumutok dito, yung mga bawat mamamayan ay may responsibility to manage the waste. Pero dahil sa kapabayaan, pumupunta yung basura sa daluyan ng tubig,' said PRA director Eli Ildefonso in Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.
(Waste is a problem that has been around even before the reclamation projects, meaning, it is a perennial problem. If only it could be managed properly, and not just local government units could focus on this, every citizen has the responsibility to manage the waste. But due to negligence, the waste ends up in waterways.)
'Bago pa man pumunta sa pangpang, bago pa man pumunta sa Manila Bay, bumabaha na sa upstream. So hindi mo pwede i-direkta na dahil sa reclamation ay siyang nagbabaha, dito pwede natin ituro na yung mismanage ng basura ang siyang dahilan.'
(Even before the water reaches the shore or Manila Bay, it is already flooding upstream. So you can't really say that reclamation is causing the flooding, here we can point out that the mismanagement of waste is the cause.)
Ildefenso said the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, which encourages proper waste segregation, must be strictly followed for every household and establishment.
'Hindi dapat hayaan na pumunta sa katubigan. Kasi sa tuwing uulan, ang taga-linis, yung tubig baha,' said Ildefonso.
(They should not be allowed to go into the water. Every time it rains, the flood water ends up with the trash.)
PRA also said that proper waste water treatment could help mitigate flooding.
'Pangkaraniwan sa mga bahay, kung detached na bahay, may poso negro…Sa Metro Manila, kung saan di lahat ng mga bahay ay may poso negro, dapat may centralized treatment facility,' said Ildefonso.
(It is common for houses, if they are detached houses, to have a septic tank... In Metro Manila, where not all houses have a septic tank, there must be a centralized treatment facility.)
Responsible reclamation
Further, PRA said that there is a 'responsible' way to do reclamation projects without too much damage to the environment.
'For one, reclaim in areas where you need to reclaim. Reclamation gives us room for development. Sa pagpili ng lugar, piliin natin yung lugar na hindi malaki ang ikasasama sa kapaligiran,' said PRA director Fernando Siringan.
(For one, reclaim in areas where you need to reclaim. Reclamation gives us room for development. When choosing a place, let's choose an area that will not cause much harm to the environment.)
Siringan added that reclamation works must be science-based.
'Pangalawa, sundin natin ang siyensya. Maging science-informed sa pagpaplano, kung saan gagawin, kung papaano gagawin, at papaano ide-develop. Kinakailangan natin na i-tap ang science community para ang ating mga actions, decisions ay science-informed,' he also said.
(Second, let's follow science. Be science-informed in planning, where to do it, how to do it, and how to develop it. We need to tap the science community so that our actions, decisions are science-informed.)
The agency also said that it has plans to expand mangrove areas in Manila Bay.
'In terms of food security, mahalaga na malinis ang tubig sa isang lugar, mahalaga na may mapupuntahan ang mga isda kung saan sila maaring mangitlog, kung saan sila maaring lumaki,' said Siringan. 'Kaya ang tutok namin, specifically ngayon sa area sa Manila Bay, na palawakin ang mangrove area…Mayroon ng mga na-identify na mga sites kung saan maari tayong maglagay ng mga mangrove at sana ay magawa na ito sa madaling panahon.'
(In terms of food security, it is important that the water in an area is clean, it is important that the fish have somewhere to go where they can spawn, where they can grow. That is why our focus, specifically now in the Manila Bay area, is to expand the mangrove area…There are already identified sites where we can plant mangroves and hopefully this will be done soon.)
The Office of the Civil Defense earlier said that more than 40 areas were submerged in floods due to the rains brought by Typhoon Bising and the Southwest Monsoon, or Habagat. Among the regions that experienced flooding was Metro Manila.
Data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed that one death was reported and still being validated in Metro Manila due to 'Bising' and Habagat. — RF, GMA Integrated News
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