THE weather bureau Pagasa (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) has officially declared the onset of the rainy season. But even without the announcement, many have probably observed the increased wetness of our days. Then there’s the other gauge that the weather bureau does not possess: the incidents of flash flooding in Metro Cebu.
One recent incident has been extensively reported by the media, the flooding in Barangay Bulacao that in turn caused traffic to stand still for a few hours. Since Talisay mayor-elect Gerald “Samsam” Gullas was the one who reacted to it, then the “Bulacao” referred to is in Talisay, or the village closest to Tabunoc. The other Barangay Bulacao is part of Cebu City.
The years I roamed the mountain barangays of Cebu City when I was younger also made me observant of the weather. Farmers are dependent on the weather cycle in the planting of produce. More so in the city’s hinterlands with its steep terrain that pushes rain water down to the sea and makes irrigation difficult.
Predicting rain was also important for our treks. There was no escaping getting wet when one was in the middle of a four-hour walk in a terrain that is not only steep but virtually devoid of green cover. We were prepared to endure, but preferred to be in the comfort of a house before the rain fell.
The wet season could be felt after the dry one when the first heavy rain fell, accompanied by the rumbling and the streaky flashes of lightning. I think Pagasa calls it a thunderstorm. When that fell at night I usually couldn’t sleep well. I am what you call an urban boy--I was born in the maternity house near Fuente Osmeña and grew up in Sitio Kawayan in nearby Barangay Sambag 2 in Cebu City. I naturally hate thunderstorms.
Anyway, the announcement that the rainy season is officially in already provides a challenge to elective officials in the metro who are set to assume their posts on June 30 (or okay, July 1). Gullas, who will take over from his lolo EddieGul as Talisay City mayor, has promised to coordinate with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on the matter.
What is ironic in the Bulacao flooding is that the place has a creek, a natural waterway. Why then would the water insist on following the highway? Which reminds me of our place, which has a river that remains virtually dry even when rain falls. Instead, rainwater follows the road located only a few meters from the river.
The culprit? Residences have sprouted near the length of the riverbank, with each house being surrounded by a fence. Those fences effectively block the flow of rain water to the river and redirect it to the asphalted road. The road, which is also devoid of a drainage system, is now the waterway.
Our place is what one would call a suburban area. Incidentally, a subdivision is being built on a nearby mountain top. Imagine the woes we would be suffering when our place further develops--unplanned, unprepared.
That is, I should say, one recipe for tragedy.