Dante form of tropical depression; in class, government failure to work is still suspended
go through Kyle Aristopher T. Atienza and Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, reporter
According to the state weather bureau, the low pressure zone (LPA) east of Aurora developed into a tropical depression on Tuesday, due to heavy rains caused by southwestern monsoons in the north and central Philippines.
In the case of flooding, curriculum and government work in Metro Manila and some provinces in Luzon was suspended again.
As of 3 p.m., the maximum sustained wind in the center of Tropical Dispone Dante, east of northern Luzon, is estimated to be 45 kilometers per hour (KPH), with waves of waves, and the Philippines’ atmosphere, Geophysical and Astronomy Services Authority (Pagasa) said.
It moves north at a speed of 20 kilometers. Meanwhile, a low-voltage area was found located 155 kilometers southeast of Batanes Basco.
Heavy rains caused the Marikina River to reach the third and highest alarm, prompting the evacuation of more than 23,000 people in Metro Manila, including the country’s largest city, Quezon City.
In Malabang, disaster officials pointed out the causes of severe flooding in nearby Navotas.
Pagasa said Tuesday morning that as the flood continued, five dams on Luzon, including the La Mesa Dam, had released water, with the water level in La Mesa violating the 80.15-meter overflow.
Experts raised concerns about the Philippines’ disaster response, which despite the country’s history of severe flooding, said despite the disaster response.
“Obviously, what we are seeing is that despite over 300 billion flood control this year, our flood preparation and mitigation measures are not enough,” Pamela Gloria Cajilig, a researcher at the Resilient Development Program, said in an emailed response.
Amid public concerns about corruption, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Still, flood controls account for one-third of this year’s infrastructure budget, accounting for pesos 34.42 billion.
Infrastructure think tanks PH Party List Rep. Terry L. Ridon urges 20Th Congress reviews delays in flood control programs.
“These delays should be subject to strict catch-up plans by the agencies concerned to speed up completion in the most critical months of typhoons and monsoons,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.
The Board of Audit (COA) marked delays in the Metro Manila Flood Management Project, with 22 plans lagging behind 310 days as of December 2023.
The COA also said that due to problems such as procurement and cancellation, the other 29 flood control projects have not been implemented yet.
Experts say some developments could cause flooding to worsen. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) earlier said the Manila Bay Train Beach project, part of the Duterte administration’s initiative, blocked three major drainage discharges, exacerbating flooding in parts of Manila.
The Ministry of Environment, which oversees the project, has not responded to MMDA’s claims, but attributes flooding to increased rainfall over the past decade.
“Social and Political Crisis”
Mr Ritton has submitted a resolution to an investigation into the Dolomites Beach Project to a House of Representatives, citing the need for an overall approach to flood management. He added: “If reclamation projects make a significant contribution to flooding, the government should stop further approval of future reclamation projects.”
Mahar Lagmay, executive director of operational assessment for the National Hazard (Noah) project, noted that many flooded areas, including Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, were once natural waterways converted to roads.
Ms. Kagiliger seeks a shift in the country’s approach to flood management, urging officials to stop viewing floods as technical issues.
“We urgently need to stop thinking about floods in purely technical terms and reshape them into a social and political crisis,” she said. “We need to see floods as a systemic crisis of inequality and injustice.”
She added that despite improvements such as hazard monitoring and early warning systems have been established, they are still “reactive, focused on response” rather than proactive preparation.
Ms. Kagilig said poor communities still have little role in disaster preparation, citing greater inclusion.
“We need the voice, knowledge and abilities of people experiencing the greatest risk of disaster,” she said. “We need to recognize that those who are directly experiencing problems have crucial insights into the way forward.”
Maria Ela L. Atienza, a political scientist who studies the impact of disasters on communities, also calls for a review of the 2010 Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act.
She urged lawmakers to prioritize addressing the root causes of floods, including insufficient governance and lack of climate adaptation measures.
Gary Ador Dionisio, dean of the School of Diplomacy and Governance at Benilde, said flood control should be part of a broader strategy to mitigate climate change.
“Flood control should be accompanied by larger plans related to climate mitigation,” he said via Messenger chat. He said a long-term strategy, such as the modernized agricultural sector, was needed, which suffered $57.78 billion last year.
Meanwhile, Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto C. Teodoro (Jr.) activated the Philippines’ military base in the Philippines as a relief hub for supporting humanitarian operations.
He added that the Indo-Pacific Command will also deploy a “crisis operation team” and military assets to strengthen relief efforts by the Philippine military.
Romeo S., chief of military affairs of the Little Philippines.
