Is claiming of accretion a common practice at Marikina river? (passing through Pasig City)

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Rizal Philippines    |  September 30, 2014

                What is this backhoe doing?  Removing the accretion or fixing this?.  The river at this portion before the Rosario bridge has become narrower.

Reclaiming  the accretion at Marikina River?
From what I remember, Pasig river was a wide and deep and wide river.  It claimed a lot of lives from drowning. It could be at least 100 meters wide and more than 10 meters deep.  However this post recent photo essay suggests that it could be 50 or even 30 meters wide, and heavily silted.  No wonder, there is rapid flooding of its banks.  what happened to the rest of the river?

Who caused the river to be a creek? Who authorized this?

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Rizal Philippines   |   September 30, 2014

           The river is now hardly a creek say 5 to 7 meters wide

What is remember is that a textile mill near this waterway used to be known as Riverside Mills.  However, when I took the picture of this "river, it could be hardly called a river nor a creek. The what used to be a 20 meter water way is just a fraction of what of its old self.  A structure occupies more than 50% of its width.  Judging from the bridge length, the waterway used to be river.

Who authorized this structure to be built?

Is nobody watching over creeks and bridges? Are authorities sleeping?

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Rizal Philippines  |September 29, 2014

                      Can you still see the creek, and the bridge?

As I biked yesterday, I looked for a creek and I did not find it?  Reason, some urban settlers blocked its view.  The west side was occupied by a junk shop!  How come?  Nobody patrols and watches over our natural resources like rivers and creeks?  Dont we have a government that polices these resources?

                        Where is the creek?  The bridge?

      Who allowed this structure be built over a creek bridge?

What caused the flood in Cainta, Pasig and Ortigas Ave Extension?

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          The channel could be only 5 meters wide, the rest of the river about 10 meters are occupied by settlers

I tried to find out whether the hypothesis that the creeks and rivers were responsible for the Ortigas Ave extension.  Surely, there will be people whose houses will be damaged, there will be electrocution, aids and rescue operations.   But the root causes will not be investigated nor removed.  They are there, we ignore, we deny that they exist, and that some of our country men due to their selfish acts caused this:

                 They will be always the victim; why cant we move them?  Why are they untouchables?  Cant the govt relocate them to a much safer place?

                  Other river bank settlers at the Brookside (Ortigas area)

What is accretion and how does it cause more flooding

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Report from Nauticapedia



We see lakes and decreasing in area, as more land is created from the soil washed from the upland.  Riverbanks too become wider and upland owners gain ownership (they can have the added land titled.  In the process, the waterway gets narrower, and common sense dictates that less volume of water can pass through hence this is flooding.

In my town, In Cainta, Pasig, in Marikina, I know for a fact, that accretions in rivers has been a cause of flooding.   Laguna lakes area has likewise been decreased because of accretion and reclamation projects.  The volume of the lake is considereably reduced.

Yesterday was Ondoy's 5th anniversary

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Repost from Summit Express



One week before the Ondoy anniversary, MM was again flooded:  Marikina, Pasig, and elsewhere in the Philippines by the onslaught of typhoon Mario

5 years after, and several hearings and debates after what has happened?

1.  Have the squatters been removed from the river banks?

2.  Have the rivers, creeks and esteros deepened and widened?

Government of laws rather than of men

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Repost from Philstar

Aquino defends PNP chief - from Rappler

I used to be a Jaycee and this is an important creed.  However, after hearing the interview with the head of the country  on head of PNP, and saying that he is a friend, and that he is good despite the allegations of wrongdoing, and documented at that, this post is rather appalled with the support being thrown by the head of state to another head of an organization.....

It is thus a govt of friends rather than of laws.  Of dynasties, and friends and NGOs.....

OF men rather than of laws

What are the causes of the flooding in MM? Any solutions?

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Rizal Philippines   | September 23, 2014

The area near the SM Marikina is inundated because the floodway which is just 30 meters wide and 4 meters deep vis (100 meters and 10 meters) is choked and thus Pasig river, which is it was designed to empty into Laguna Lake, is flooded





Floods at Ortigas  Avenue ( can we relate this to the abuse of Pasig River and Manggahan floodway?)


What caused the flooding?  A flurry of interviews and TV shows and articles are coming out to analyze again the cause of the flood:

Again let us enumerate:

1.  Force majeure  - the 269 mm of rainfall for the 24 hour period is the equivalent of 1/2 month of rainfall.;

2.  Global warming -  the warm Pacific Ocean and atmosphere loads typhoons with more energy and moisture that fall as rain.  This is a very convenient excuse



3.  Clogged drainage  -  plastics, sand, silt, trash clog the drainage


Garbage and encroachment on esteros;  we cant fight nor convince developers to demolish their encroachment

4. Flood control projects, pumps that do not work  (Espana has had several flood control projects and yet it floods at when the dogs piss.)


Squatters must go?   Or they and us suffer floods endlessly?


Squatters at floodway banks (west bank) We have no will to resist their votes?






Would the flooding be the same if the banks of floodway were cleared of squatters?

From GMA news - encroachment of Manggahan floodway blamed for Pasig river swelling.  It has become narrower and shallower  - thanks to.....

5.   Settlers on esteros and river banks (accretion).  Pasig river then looked very wide.  Now it seems that it is only 15 meters wide.   Manggahan floodway is heavily silted.  Squatters dump their shit and garbage at Manggahan floodway.


From here we can judge that the Manggahan floodway overflow, flooded Ortigas Ave after the Manggahan bridge.  Manggahan floodway should be dredged and declogged.

From coconuter (mambubuko?)

Improving the favelas at Rio de Janeiro (Rocinha)

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Rizal Philippines | September 22, 2014




Old Rocinha


New Rocinha



From Globe eye - improving the favelas

From Geography Learn on the Internet

I again saw at the TV the AJ feature on Rocinha, one of the 600 favelas at Rio de Janeiro.   Favelas are the equivalent of slum areas - make shift houses and of light materials.. Starvation amidst plenty.   Rocinha is beside Copacabana. and fronts the gorgeus beachfront property.  It is home to some 90 to 160t population


Very near the Copacobana beach

What's in a surname?

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Rizal  Philippines  | September 23, 2014

What's  a name?

Certainly the members of our armed forces and PNP's top echelon surnames can sow fears in the hearts of foes and allies alike:

Lt Gen Gregorio Catapang -  Chief of AFP;  it means very brave;  is he?  From Rappler



C/S Reuben Sindac - spokesman of PNP means to shock and awe.  From GMA network

General Alan Purisima -  it means pure and spotless.  Is he out to cleanse the PNP

Their surnames will surely sow fears into the hearts of their critics and adversaries

11 lessons from Robert McNamara former US Secy of Defense during Vietnam war.

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Rizal Philippines   |   September 20, 2014



The Star Movies at cable tv featured War Foggies which featured Robert Mcnamara, former President  of Ford, former Secy of Defense during the time of Pres John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B Johnson

He was more known as the architect of Vietnam war.  He seemed to be have influenced by the thinking of General Ley of the Air Corps (Force) during World War 2.  McNamara was part of the statistical team who analyzed the stats of the bombing runs of the Air Corps.  Ley emphasized efficiency (not in terms of number of enemies - civilian and military target) but in weakening the adversary.  Here the lesson of proportionality was applied.

In order to be even with terrorist we have to even up understanding of combatants

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Rizal Philippines  | September 17, 2014





Who are the combatants?  Civilians are excluded?

At the 9/11 WTC attack by terrorist, it was clear that the conflict was not between terrorist and military combatants.  The West, true to its humanitarian orientation, and rules of engagement distinguishes between the military combatants and civilians.  We cant harm and hurt civilians;  but combatants are fair game in war/encounters.

Its the terrorists vs the West.  Period.... no distinction between civilians and military. So there goes suicide bombers, plane bombs etc.   Civilians are fair target as any military targets are good target.  To hell with war crimes (has any terrorist charged with war crimes)

Try to analyze the terror attacks at Mumbai, at Eastgate Mall in Kenya.  and you will see how the terrorists indiscriminately fire at civilians.  

Air strikes vs ISIS is not a good strategy; ground troops are

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Rizal Philippines   |  September 17, 2014

From my humble knowledge of strategy, air strikes vs ISIS who can hide among the civilian population can only waste the war assets or USA and its allies.  Air strikes were not effective vs VC in Vietnam;  the tunnels were good defense as in Afghanistan.

You have to match the assets of ISIS namely ground troops are needed.   Otherwise, its a USA that does not want to be dirtied in combatting what it considers a threat to US.

Slow and reactive government?

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Rizal  Philippines   |  September 15, 2014



There was press con made this afternoon and there was a comment that we have a slow govt. with regards to power sector, MRT, .  The govt spokesman said that there have been a number of reports made that a number of power plants have been broken ground (however it would take 4 years for them to be operational)

Time man

However, the issue of that the government being slow and reactive was not addressed.  This is without prejudice to the government being beset with red tape and bureaucracy.

The sickness of delay does not only belong to the government.  It is true for both private and public alike...

What can be done?

Erap lifts Manila truck ban; truckers thank Erap; other issues unresolved

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Rizal  Philippines  | September 15, 2014

From Inquirer - Erap lifts truck ban indefinitely



Executive Order 67

Mayor Joseph Estrada lifts truck ban indefinitely  in Manila as of noon Saturday with his signing of Executive Order 67 and leaves management of traffic to the national government  (MMDA)  He and vice mayor Isko Moreno Dumagoso  warns the public of more traffic  (Various schemes are in place to solve the congestion caused by the truck ban:   the trade lane at Roxas blvd, the one truck lane policy.


The Office of the President are very diplomatic in pointing out that the port and container congestion is due to the increase in imports and economic growth of the country.  So with office of the City Mayor.

Congestion and the truck ban

The fluid and ever changing world of strategy

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Rizal Philippines  |  September 12, 2014



Nat Geo 9/11 documentary

There is a feature at Nat Geo about the documentary of what happened at 9/11 some 13 years ago yesterday.

What was notable was failure in security and defense strategy/tactics.   CIA and FBI did not share information so terrorist were able to move freely around..   The security measures were not tight enough.  The pilots were able to train undetected.  Some intelligence data from the Phil  were also ignored.

Look who are involved in plunder - members of political dynasties

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Rizal Philippines   |   September 12, 2014





From Invision Free - Political Dynasties breed corruption

From Rappler - Failed Legacy of EDSA - the dismantling of political dynasties.  Political dynasties breed corruption -  Jose Colayco

Have you noticed those who are being charged with plunder lately?

Estrada    -  Jinggoy   -  how many members of the family are in the govt service?  Erap, Jayvee E, and before Gov of Laguna ER

Revilla -   Rep Lanie, father formerly Senator

JPE-  the Enrile clan was in politics in Cagayan.

Even VP Binay and his wife (fmr mayor)  son is mayor, Rep daughter, Senator daughter.

The Ampatuans too were members of a political dynasty

How about the Aquino family?

Solons grills PNP officers on the rouge cops at budget hearing

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Rizal Philippines  |  September 12, 2014

More News about rouge cops

From Inquirer - Is there a syndicate of rogue cops



We saw a coverage on the budget hearing where the top officers of PNP were grilled by the Congress budget committee.  One solon asked the following questions:

    1.  Is this an isolated case?   (Why were  the entire staff of a police station involved?

    2  Is this part of the culture/mindset of police officers policeman?

    3.  Is this a normal practice for police to be in this kind of activities and normally tolerated.

WH layering of strategies on foreign policy?

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Philippines    | September 12, 2014



NYT Maureen Dowd criticizes Pres for playing golf amidst crisis

From Press TV Pres returns to golf after condemning Foley beheading

This post would mean my cancellation of this visa to travel to US.

The head of the largest economy in the world has been widely criticized in his own country for failure to deal squarely with the problems in US:   of the illegal children immigrants from the rest of America, the ISIS threat, The Gaza war, the beheading of US Journalist Folley.  While this is happening the chief seemed to be enjoying his golf.   While the UK Prime Minister cancelled his vacation, the US chief did not show the same sense of urgency.

Policemen involved in high profile crimes in the Philippines - nothing to worry? Says top PNP officials

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Rizal Philippines   | September 10, 2014



Philstar - Zero tolerance for roque cops

Philstar Editorial on rogue cops

From inquirer - 8 cops in fake drug bust, from La Loma Precinct

The VACC (Volunteer Against Crimes Coalition) is pretty much alarmed over the involvement in high profile crimes.  Their VP said that the police is supposed to serve and protect (as is the motto in US)  But they do the reverse.

The recent high profile crimes involved:

1.  The alleged  hold up of a van that involved 12 QCPD policemen.  The loot was alleged to be P2 million  owned by a Mindanao contractor to buy heavy equipment. The alleged head, Police Captain Allan Emlan surrendered today.

This is alarming because the entire force of the station seemed to be involved and involved even graduates of Police Academy.   What kind of training, values did they get from the academy?   Money money money?

More professional handling of traffic and leadership by MMDA needed!

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Rizal Philippines   |  September 9, 2014




From Business World - cabinet cluster opens trade lanes

Repost from MB - More traffic chaos loom

Some hearsays:   these huge and monstrous traffic jams did not happen in BFs time.   He had the guts and leadership to keep the egos of many of MM chiefs in check.  That the MM had their own truck ban, and that this resulted in congestion of the pier, and the single lane truck policy that coincided with traffic rerouting of Caloocan should not have happened.

Kasi nga may MMDA - may Metro Authority.   With MMDA reporting to the Office Of  the President, it should have strong power and clout to bang the heads of LGU chief executives to think and plan for the greater good.

One truck one lane policy created the massive traffic jam at NLEX yesterday?

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Rizal  Philippines  | September 6, 2014



Repost from Rappler yesterday, September 5, 2014

Traffic got worse yesterday, as NLEX and roads leading to Manila was transformed into one jampacked parking lot.  The jammed vehicles stretched to as far as 7 km.

I was witness to this as the bus I rode from Nueva Vizcaya. had to contend with the jam upon entering  A. Bonifacio.  There were trucks, container vans lined up along the road, 3 abreast and were jamming the route going to Manila.

This was initially attributed to MMDA one lane one truck policy now in force.  But others attributed this to Caloocan rerouting, and the few gates at Port Area that allowed trucks to decongest Port Area.

Its a blame game now.  But what can be done to make things better.  Traffic jams are worse than ever. A one hour trip now takes 2.5 hours.

Mr BF, may suggestion ba kayo.  Mr. Duterte?  How about Presidentiable Myriam Santiago?  Any words of wisdom?

Can we bang the heads of the LGU heads, MMDA to make things be better.  Nakakasawa na po ang  mga pahirap na ito.  When will be solution oriented?

When can we make things right?






Anc slideshow

Rappler at You Tube  Massive traffic jam at NLEX

Going to the North (Isabela and Cagayan) and EDSA !! can be an ardous journey

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Rizal  Philippines  |   September 5, 2014





I had to make a business trip to Nueva Vizcaya and Isabela yesterday.  It was a challenging travel

1.  I nearly missed my reservation at 8:00 for one of the buses going to the north because:

     1.  It rained (EDSA is slow moving because the water level rose in some low lying roads of EDSA;

    2. All the buses were SRO because of the problems with MRT and for unknown reason.

    It was difficult to get a ride.  I walked from Galleria to SM just to get on the buses that were not as crowded in Galleria.

From Rappler - traffic at EDSA at standstill when it rains

2. At the bus terminal, there was  huge crowd waiting to get a ride.   This particular bus required reservations ahead of time because of suspension of a fatal accident last February 7, 2014  (But I  see other Florida bus - GV Florida's station near Timog to be open and accepting passengers all ready.

On the way back though, there was another challenge.  A trailer truck malfunctioned and blocked Sta Fe zigzag for  3 hours.   I would have arrived Manila by 3 am.  Instead I arrived at a little past 7.  Someone must find other routes for the Northeastern Board.  Frequent landslides  and accidents that blocked the now four lane Dalton pass could mean countless hours lost fuel, and revenues lost.

Dalton Pass Alternative Route Road Project cost P5.9 billion

Alternative Dalton Pass road project  (San Jose Aritao road costing P232 million







As if that was not enough, the NLEX route to Manila (A Bonifacio) was jammed even on an early morning.  The reason according to hearsay was the "one truck lane policy, the traffic rerouting by Caloocan City.

The queue stretched as far as 7 km up to 5 pm yesterday  Some motorists left their vehicles on the road.

When will the travails of travellers end?