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Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Classes suspended due to morning floods
DAVAO CITY -- An early morning heavy downpour resulted in the suspension of classes Monday in both elementary and high school levels of public and private schools in Poblacion and Talomo districts in this city.
Rush hour traffic snarled and caused delays as vehicles slowed down due to heavily flooded streets. A number of private vehicles and jeepneys were stalled and their engines drenched.
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Monday's heavy downpour started between 3:30 a.m. to 4 a.m. and only stopped at around 6:30 a.m.
The streets of F. Torres, Jacinto Extension corner Quirino Avenue, portions of the MacArthur Highway, Quimpo Boulevard, and the side streets of Uyanguren were the most heavily flooded areas.
The floodwaters subsided shortly before noon.
Flooding of the city's major thoroughfares and low-lying areas has become a common sight every time the city experiences a heavy downpour.
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to solve the matter, saying he intends to create a special office to tackle the flood problem in the city.
He also criticized landowners for putting the blame on the government. "Big landowners should not keep on blaming government for the constant flooding being experienced now in Davao as they too share the blame for refusing to allow the city to get part of their land for the city's drainage," he said.
Duterte warned landowners that the city will sequester their properties should they continue to resist its request to use a portion of their lands for the city's drainage.
"Government will have its way. 'Di lang ako kukuha ng canal, kukuha ako ng drainage sa lupa niyo (I will not just claim land for a canal but for a whole drainage system in your land)," the mayor said.
Duterte expressed his disappointment over the landowners' refusal, most of whom, he said are his friends.
"Ang tinuod ani (The truth is), only Felcris gave consent for land use in Ma-a. The others have refused," he said. "Tapos (Then) they refused but they are the first ones to complain about floods."
The mayor also called the attention of the City Council to regulate, if not minimize, the issuance of permits to developers as this is causing the loss of natural waterways.
"We need a few extra lands that will absorb water. The traditional waterways disappear kay (because) all are subdivision and buildings. This is one of the ill-effects of industrialization," Duterte said.
He further said that the increase in the volume of rainfall is also one of the reasons for floods.
"Ang rainfall ng isang taon, bubuhos ng isang buwan lang (The rainfall for one year will pour in one month.) They say this is caused by climate change and I am inclined to believe that," Duterte said.
He said he will be consulting a team that includes the City Engineer's Office and foreign experts to plan the ideal drainage system for the city.
"But we need money to buy lands because if not, we will run afoul with landowners. Ang iba, nagdemanda pa (The others even file a case)," Duterte said.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pag-asa) said an Inter Tropical Convergence Zone is affecting Davao City and the other provinces of Southern Mindanao.
The weather bureau's satellite images showed heavy clouds hovering over Southern Mindanao.
Pag-asa in its weather forecast also said that the rainy weather being experienced by Dabawenyos would continue for the week. (CPM/GLP/Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Baguio. (June 17, 2008 issue)
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