The note by the Senate Committee on Public Works chairman to summon heads of the Department of Public Works and Highways and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority following floods in the metropolis raises regard.
The chairman, Senator Ramon Revilla Jr., wants, in his words, to demand answers from DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan and MMDA Chairman Romando Artes on the still unresolved flooding in the country that continues to recur every downpour.
Revilla Jr. instructed the DPWH and the MMDA to immediately identify the factors behind flooding in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.
He said people are looking for the 13,224 flood control structures the DPWH said they have prepared nationwide, adding this kind of problem should not happen anymore so it should be fixed fastest.
At the height of super typhoon Egay last week, many parts of Metro Manila, some of which are below sea level, were flooded which disturbed vehicular traffic and stranded thousands of commuters.
Revilla mentioned the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported 425 flooding incidents during Egay’s onslaught, now chased by the “expansive wind field” of typhoon Falcon,whose 175 kms maximum winds are hitting northern Philippines Tuesday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration.
Official figures suggest persons affected by Egay have risen from 1.02 million to 2.39 million on Monday or 654,837 families nationwide.
Revilla rebuked what he called the ineffectiveness of the agencies’ flood control programs despite receiving hefty amounts of annual appropriation on the said program.
Under the annual General Appropriations Act from 2019-2023, DPWH received a total P594.62 billion appropriation for their flood control program while MMDA received P6 billion.
Revilla, in a press release, also expressed disappointment over DPWH and MMDA’s inadequate response by merely releasing press statements every time the country would be submerged in flood.
Adding distress to the people, still in a state of unease following the wrath of Egay, is the announcement by the Department of Health there is a rise in leptospirosis and dengue cases, advising the public to take precautions and avoid wading through floodwaters.
Cases of leptospirosis – acquired through direct contact with the urine of infected animals or with urine-contaminated environment – and dengue are expected to increase during the rainy season, especially after heavy rainfall or flooding.
The DOH reported 182 cases of leptospirosis from June 18 to July 1 – a 42 percent increase from 128 cases logged two weeks previously.
Since January 1, a total 2,079 leptospirosis cases and 225 deaths have been recorded.
While we read the latest figures on the destruction and death caused by Egay, we are also trying to look at the possible timeline when Revilla would summon the DPWH and the MMDA officials.