I WAS at the 13th Lacson Street, Bacolod City on Thursday afternoon, August 2, and it took me two hours to go home passing by Lacson Street!
Usually, it would only take me 20 minutes on normal days.
But last Thursday afternoon was different. Like many other Bacolodnons, I was stranded due to flash floods!
Indeed, Bacolod’s built-up areas – from Araneta Street to Mandalagan, from East Block to New Government Center to downtown area, from Robinsons to SM City – seemed like inundated by the floods on that rainy afternoon.
Friends asked me why Bacolod suffers from floods during heavy rains when it was not like that before in years past.
Based on my observation, there are four major causes: clogged waterways, poor drainage system, the huge amount of trash and garbage, and the lack of political will on the part of the City Government to strictly enforce the applicable laws and ordinances without fear or favor.
Added to it is poor city planning because Bacolod has no comprehensive urban plan, which includes a citywide drainage plan.
So what shall we do to prevent flash floods in Bacolod, now that already rainy season?
We need more proactive, workable, and inexpensive systems to control floods in Bacolod before the rains, not after, not when the rains and the floods come.
First, for the City Government of Bacolod to clear the clogged areas, and clean up the clogged drainage.
Second, for the City and through the barangays to strictly implement and manage garbage more effectively. No segregation, no collection.
If we are able to effectively manage our own waste, our own household trash, our own community garbage, we can prevent floods from happening.
Third, for the City to have more education campaigns starting from the purok and barangay levels to empower the residents and the community to manage their waste and garbage more conscientiously.
After all, garbage can be traced to people, to you, to me, to us all.
This is now a challenge to the barangay officials to devise and implement ways and means to have an effective garbage disposal and clean clogged drainage through participatory, inexpensive and eco-friendly community initiatives.
Fourth, for the City of Bacolod to strictly implement the laws, rules, and ordinances, including its penal provisions and fines! The residents should be disciplined enough not to carelessly dump trash wherever it is convenient for them.
Every morning, for example, the public plaza and the grounds of the Government Center have plenty of trash, on the pathways, on the concrete bench, on the grasses, despite the presence of garbage bins!
Fifth, for the City Government of Bacolod to have an urban plan and implement a comprehensive citywide drainage plan.
In the final analysis, floods are controllable with proper planning measures, including functional drainage systems, the coordinated water- and land-use planning, and the support and cooperation of each Bacolodnon to make our city safe and floods-free for everybody.
The time to act to prevent the next flash floods in Bacolod must start now.
(Eli Gatanela is a lawyer, licensed real estate consultant and urban planner. For comments and feedback, e-mail eligat_ph@yahoo.com)