Explanation for the flooding, cause not linear (no single cause) but systemic

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Causes of flooding in the Philippines

The cause of the flooding has been politicalized and many netizens/ citizens are not thinking properly.  Gone should be the mindset that events are caused in a single direction by single element.  The mindset being advanced (in critical thinking) is that causes are systemic. There are many interrelated elements contributing to result.  Just like the numerous wheels in a clock -  when one or several stop or are damaged the watch stop working.

So with the floods.

Because of the flood control narrative being spread, now it is common for many to say that the graft, the propensity of govt agencies concerned caused the floods.

But an expert pointed out that the solution to the flood control will mean many factors to work on:

     1.  lessening the flow:   reforestation, impounding pounds upstream

     2.  downstream :   dikes, storm drain, flood plains, deltas, pumps, solid waste disposal

     3.   sea:       retaining walls pumping station, 

     4.  safety  and risk mitigation -  remove the residents from flood prone plains and river banks, coastal areas.  

In Pampanga for instance, the almost permanent flood at Hagonoy, Masantol and Macabebe are caused by cofluence of flooding of Pampanga river, blocking of the drain by the NMIA construction, and the high tides all contribute to the flooding.    Raising the street level was band aid solution.     Having floodgates and massive pumps for the Pampanga river, looking at the NMIA blocking the rivers are worth looking into.  

Pampanga is a basin coupled that with the lahar lessening the water carrying capacity of rivers.  And the contribution of the Pampanga river being backfilled by Manila bay tides.   

We have forwarded this knowledge to a developer who wants to develop in an area which is near the rirver and a gulf.  Its elevation seen in Google Earth is at -0.1 meter    Pag naghightide ng 4 meters, lulubog na ang site.  And then blame the govt...... and the politician.  We cant deny also that substandard dike construction lack of master plan for flood control, having projects that really matter, misappropiation (theft) of public funds are also to be blamed.   It is a justified  indignation that people decry trillions did not go into flood alleviation projects. Trillions purportedly for lessening the suffering of peole gone to waste (and we taxpayers are going to foot the loan repayment

For the past two weeks and even yesterday, the volume of rainfall was unusually very high.    Japan, Vietnam, China suffered the same fate like ours.    Wrath of heaven.  (to punish the plunderers?)

Coastal areas will be especially be vulnerable.   Decades ago, sea levels were predicted to be going up due to melting of the poles and the Himalayas peak.     May be we did not listen.  Many  resorts are being built, communities along typhoon prone and flood prone beach fronts.    And now we blame the politicians.   Those who do not follow the CLUP and the building code.  We bribe building officials, we influence the mayor to give relief to no build zones....

Corruption is the omni explanationn for the floods.   Not so

San Fernando Pampanga flooded; Aquino bridge in Tarlac collapses; so much devastation

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San Fernando Pampanga was flooded yesterday;  parts of MacArthur highway were submerged, even the intersection of MacArthur and Gapan Olongapo road.

Part of Aquino bridge in Tarlac City collapses.     These floods were not wrath of corruption, they were wrath of God vs corruption?

Substitute for STP (which is expensive)

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This post has observed that in some areas of the town, there is a dearth of stp, severely affecting the water qualifty that are emptying into the Laguna lake.

About two decades ago, this post learned some cheap diy stp solution:

    1.  Water lily absorbs plenty of waste and spoiled matter from the water.  That is why drying water lily plants smell bad

    2.   DIY filtration sedimentation tank filtration:

          1.  A waterfallls for oxygenation of the water;

          2.  A sedimentation tank

          3.  Filter chamber:      rocks, gravel, fine sand, even charcoal

          UV treats waer

   3.  This post used this in a project where the effluent of a neighboring subdivision fell, and we got fish at the end of the channel from the chambers.  

Impeachment proceedings becoming too technical and boring, only lawyers and wannabees would be interested

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Lately the impeachment proceedings have been too technical and difficult to understand for non lawyers and perhaps its viewership  and readership.    Some say prosecution is leading, some say defense lawyers have been smart in their counterpunch.  

Lately the President Justice has issued a gag order on parties from making comments in their forum soc media account outside of the court.

Whatever the outcome will be we go on with our lives and repair the damages from the typhoon, and help rebuild the economy which languished at 2.3% and peso weakening at Php62: USD1 and unemployment that has risen to more than a million workers. 

Mitigating damages, loss of lives by mitigating risks: stricter building code, ECC regulations, subdivision development, having no build zones observed right

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                                          DILG DHSUD tells LGU enforce no build zones

                                                         No build zones

                                              Developers govt agencies must observe science

One wonders how come we have cyclical experience of flood and other calamities.  We did well with earthquake drills, but not so much in flood conrol and prevention.   We all know the science about that

     1.   Weather forecasting -  it is well done

     2.   Rainfall and flood warning -  well done.

  

But our residents continue to live in flood prone areas, (especially the illegal settlers) there is flooding, there is flood victim relief, temporary shelter, they return to their homes that have been flooded.

   May we suggest:

   1  To relocate those who are in dangerous risky areas:  near creeks, river banks, lakes

   2. Enforce strictly no build zones in the CLUP of LGUs

   3. Enjoin developers to improve their drainage and provide for storm water impounding area.

       Why dont we follow the Ortigas and Ayala way of flood management:   deepen and widen the creek

       What we see with the Cainta Marikina and Antipolo developers is that they even block some of the 

       creek or choke them by making them smaller.

Also the science part shall  the regulators shall not allow development along or near areas:

    1. Where there is low land level or equal to sea level   when there is a high tide

    2.  No build zone in areas where there is cofluence of flood water and tide movements.    As in

         Pampanga, Bulacan:    Balagtas, Hagonoy, Masantol, Macabebe.  Yes there are no build zones by'           LLDA

        DILG Cuy - Enact ordinances as no build zones....

This post remembers the warning of late  Dr.  Raymundo Punongbayan (the Americans left Clark and Subic days ahead of June 12 and 15 eruption because they listened to Punongbayan.  I do)

      1.  Do not build in high altitude area, what is up must come down     (Look at Baguio, Mt Province

           Leyte landslides

      2.  The coastal areas will continue to sink due to global warming:   melting of iceberbs and glaciers.

            How prophetic.

This the company we had avoided building along lakeside, along huge rivers.    Lately flood risk area, with only 2 meters elevation vs the sea  had to be refused and shelved because it will be just like Hagonoy.  

N.B  Recently a local govt agency granted a permit to  set up a 500 KVA high power lines near residential units.   Has the science on EMF low frequency on health been established:   safe or unsafe?

Possible plunder case vs Cayetano? After Marcoleta

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https://www.newswatchplus.ph/2026/07/24/lacson-sees-possible-plunder-raps-vs-cayetano-over-taguig-ghost-projects/

It is very possible that plunder cases will be filed vs Sen. Cayetano.   Little by little the opposition to the majority are being silenced and the obstacles the votes to defeat impeach Sara Duterte are falling by the wayside.   Shall we expect more?   

Effective flood control projects that can be benchmarked in the Philippines

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This could be benchmarked in the Philippines especially that Philippines is flooded very often     

Japanese contractors should build the flood control projects

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The flood control projecs in Marikina which seemed to withstand the strength of the recent flood make many Filipinos conclude that indeed the Japanese should just be prequalified to build our flood control projects.  What is odd is that these contractors used Filipino labor.  Where lies the difference?

Many of the parts of Philippines especially MM and Bulacan flooded; climate change failed flood control projects and corruption blamed

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Floods in the Philippines

Many citizens decried politics while the rest of the nation are suffering in the floods rains and wind

He who is sinless cast the first stone

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He who is sinless cast the first stone

Many allegations have come out regarding the guardians of the law:

    1.  That a former head of a chamber was the purse keeper of a P24 B leadership fund

    2.  That a head of office filing cases right and left had a billion of controversial funds

    3.   That the husband and wife team in another watchdog office was alleged to be engaged in govt

          contracts

Erice says Omb....obtained P1.5 b confidential funds from Co

Bonuan - Fmr SP in charge of leadership fund

Stop the folly. Stop the raket!?

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Going into rocket science is likely to impoverish the nation.

Especially if going via the NASA way.    Spacex has made rocket launch cheaper by as much as 4000%

If it is just a satellite launch, we can just have it launched by  spaceX or other outfit.  

Meron ba tayong ganitong goal man lang say 1 billion trees replanting in 5 years? Kayang kaya ito ng mga students barangay, AICs Tupad, 4ps

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This could be one of the most effective flood control/mitigation -  low cost, and doable?  Paging  and concerned govt agencies    and LGUs No gains here so it is not attractive.  How about NGOs and party list.  Tigilan bawasan ang pamumulitika

Mamuno po tayo ay lutasin ang problema ng bansa, hindi ganansya.   May mga programa mura at palaging sinasabi nating knee jerk solution

Rain, rain flood flood go away; Rocket naman ang bagong modus

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Flood scandals are something we can not ignore.  While billions (or even trillions) have been allocated, appropiated, part of GAA the floods continue to afffect hundreds of thousands of Filipinos.  

When is the suffering going to end.

1.  Is there really a master flood control program?

2.  Are there mitigating  modern, effective actions:

         1.  Dikes

         2.  Flood control gates

         3.  Pumping stations

         4   Impounding areas

         5.  Reforestation 

For the latter Korea has embarked and completed a 10 year program for reforestation. They replanted 11 billion trees.    63% of Korea are now covered with trees.. Definitely it has contributed to flood control    How about us?

In the meantime, we are ignoring the problem and moving on to a program where margins are bigger and there is no audit, no investigations are possible.  Is this rocket a raket disguise?  Have they not heard of Spacex whose rocket launches are cheaper?   Do we have strength and resources for this new raket?

We did better with the tennis racket of Eala!!

Why forget flood control problems and just move on? Rakets and the ombudsman investigation cant solve this; pity the poor Filipinos suffering from floods lack of funds

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A solon has urged the public in his speech, to stay clear of flood control fiasco and JUST MOVE ON.  How could we just ignore this problem and move on to new modus -  RAKET NAMAN  (a sub for flood control modus?)

Maawa naman kayo sa daan daang libong  Filipino na nagdurusa sa baha.   Di ba iyan ang focus ng programa ninyo?    Dalawang mukha isang individual?

Difficult to pin down culprits in flood control scams

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You see the money for getting a project, even your name at the National Expendure Program (NEP) has to be paid up front 25% of it all.  So there is no doc/contract yet. It is verbal, tiwalaan.   So where is the evidence.   Can you sell even one guilty as a hell soul to the court.   None.  Nyet.  Nada

Its a perfect crime.  You know its there.  Like air.  But you cant describe it.   Or document them.  Only ZCo can be the answer.   To indict all his cohorts.  This includes.     The head...

Why has Penn, Tennis ball maker moved from China to Mindanao, Philippines

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The reasons:

1.  Becaue of demographics.  Average age of factory workers in China is 53, in Phl it is 23.

2.  Nearness to source of raw materials -  rubber trees in Mindanao.  Also younger farmers

3.  Peace and order:   no border disputes unlike in Thailand and even internally

Manila is sinking - fast by 10 cm per year

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Despite huge amount of money being poured into flood control project, Manila stil continues to sink by at least 10cm per year.   This is a result of climate change (more rainfall due to typhoon) and sinking of the land due to over drawing of water from the aquifier.    The mountains of Rodriquez and San Mateo, Antipolo are denuded and are useless in holding back flood water.  The same phenomenon is happening to towns around Manila

Should Manila relocate (Just like what they do to Jakarta exactly for the same reason ?    It was said that Manila is  below the sea level.  

Manila is sinking

Senate starting to work on EPIRA law removing system loss from electric bills

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Due to the order of PBBM ordering the removal of system loss from electricity bills.    People were aghast over the inclusion of losses, the subject of management checking responsbility to remove such loss.   Included in the system loss are the technical loss due to conductor resistance over long distances and others are non technical like theft, jumpers, and others.

Some cooperataives report of cooperatives they having to shoulder the electricity consumption of some LGU officials

Govt agencies to work together to amend EPIRA law

Pasig RTC issues TRO vs first tranche of P85.00 wage order for increase of employees salary in July; Article 126 of Labor Code prohibits such TRO vs wage orders

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The Pasig RTC has issued a TRO  upon petition of Readycon and RII builders for the implementation of the first tranche of P85.00 wage increase.   Article 126 of the Labor code prohibits such a TRO.     No worries for the laborers

The BSP has issued statements vs such increase and its effect on inflation which their office tries to contain.   This traps businessmen who are caught in the the dilemna of increasing costs of production and the slowdown in economic activities due to war in Iran, and adverse publicity on flood control scandal and the impeachment

Article 126Prohibition against injunction.

PD 442 · Labor Code of the PhilippinesELI5 guide available

ELI5— what this means for you

No court can issue an injunction or restraining order to stop the NWPC or RTWPBs from conducting wage-setting proceedings. Wage determination cannot be blocked by court injunctions.

Key point