PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has blamed improper waste disposal for the flooding that submerged many communities particularly in Metro Manila during the onslaught of Southwest Monsoon or habagat and Typhoon Carina.
Following his ocular inspection in areas badly affected by the combined effects of habagat and Typhoon Carina on Thursday, July 25, 2024, Marcos urged the public to dispose their trash properly as an additional preventive measure against flooding, noting that garbage disposed indiscriminately ends up clogging drainage systems.
“Nagkaproblema lang. Sana matuto naman ang tao. Huwag kayong nagtatapon ng basura dahil ‘yung basura, ‘yun ang nagbara doon sa mga pump natin kaya hindi kasing effective na puwede,” he said.
(We just had a problem. I hope people will learn. Don't throw garbage because that garbage is what blocks our pumps, so it's not as effective as it could be.)
“So, marami na ‘yung pumping station. Pero talaga you have to put it (trash) somewhere…Twelve o’clock noon (Wednesday, July 23) nag-high tide. Nagsabay-sabay. Malakas ang ulan tapos nag-high tide. So, at least now, I’m very clear of what the situation is. That due to this (indiscriminate garbage disposal), flooding occurred,” Marcos added.
Aside from poor trash disposal, the President said climate change also had to do with the flooding.
Marcos has also ordered a review of the designs of some of the country’s flood control programs.
He said there were also several pumping stations in Metro Manila with 81 in Navotas and 32 in Valenzuela, but these two areas were the hardest hit by the weather disturbances.
Majority of the barangays in Valenzuela and Navotas were still submerged in flood as of Thursday, July 25.
“The amount of water was not as bad as (tropical storm) Ondoy. But the effects [of Typhoon Carina] were greater than Ondoy. Mas malaki ang baha. Mas maraming nabaha na lugar kaysa panahon ng Ondoy,” Marcos said, referring to the tropical cyclone that inundated Metro Manila in 2009.
In a situational report as of Friday morning, July 26, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said a total of 299,344 families or 1,319,467 persons were affected by the bad weather in the country since last week.
Mindanao was battered by the combined effects of habagat and Tropical Cyclone Bucthoy last week, while Carina and the Southwest Monsoon affected Luzon within the week.
In the National Capital Region, which was placed under a state of calamity at the height of the onslaught of Carina and habagat, 32,870 families or 125,491 persons were affected in 281 barangays.
A total of 29 other areas in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Davao Region and Soccsksargen were also placed under a state of calamity, which enables local government units to access emergency funds for the immediate implementation of the relief operations to aid the affected residents.
The DSWD, for its part, assured the provision of assistance to the affected families.
The disaster bureau said the agriculture sector incurred over P9.7 million worth of damages in the almost two weeks of rain showers while almost P1.3 million worth of infrastructure was also wrecked.
The Philippine National Police earlier reported that 21 individuals were killed due to the weather disturbances. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)