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

It is more fun criticizing

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.  However a friend who visited me last week told me as he is from Bo. Taliptip has been flooded ever since.  He said some groups are out to wreck havoc on RSA?   Anti progress progressives?

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

15 contractors cornered P100 billion of flood control projects?

It is more fun criticizing15 

There are surveys and conversation going around:   if you want to be super rich, a millionaire or billionaire, what would your career be?  It is no longer  being a superb businessmen with lots of self improvement and sacrifice.  A group says be a contractor;   another said  DP.. contractor, and others said be a ....man.  What silly and bad answers.  A loss of sense of morality and right.

1.  Surely there was a lack of oversight.  The auditors and the Secy of the Dept was sleeping (or worse in cahoots)

2.  That this went on for sometime means, it has blessing of higher ups (and therefore participates in the sharing.  Napoles we think was taught if not just encouraged to carry out the PDAF loophole to to her thing.

3.  That the head pretends not to know this, feigning surprise is surprising.   

4.  The conversation gives bad example to the young:   that it is ok to steal big time in the country, that the big time plunderers, pillagers will not get caught;  That thieves were suits and barong Tagalog.

They say, that in leadership, the HEADS LEAD THE TAILS.  What kind of heads do we have.  Shall we cut the head to stop these crooks

Thank you for the people who are exposing this and demanding accountability.  The guilty ones should be censured and legally made accountable

Cabagan bridge has fell down

It is more fun criticizing

What could be the cause?

PBBM on inspection said it was due to poor design.  The designer, Mr. Canete said that it was designed according to standards. Overloaded vehicles was blamed as the culprit.   Many citizens commented why despite its huge costs the bridge failed.  

Bridges are the most expensive, costly projects being complex and difficult to implement (Meaning huge rewards too

Some structural experts showed graphically the stress and structural analysis.

Pointing out to the fact that the contractors scrimped on the materials (probably  to recover the prevalent practice of kb to politicians).   Whose admin to be blamed;  PNoy, FPRRD, or PBBM.  Or heads should roll at DPWH who created most billionaires in the country)

 

Early campaigning mudslinging - do they comply with community standards. ?

It is more fun criticizing

                                                      Uncalled for; early anti campaigning

After several of my pages were taken down on alleged violation of community standards, this post has been keenly aware of what is allowed and not allowed to be posted.

However some virulent posts attacking candidates have been appearing and this post wonders if the  watchmen of the platform are going to take down the posts.   Maybe they can campaign for their candidates but to attack the personality of certain candidates without conviction from the courts is out of line and goes beyond ethics of publication and may be even a crime/illegal

About this division of people due to politics or our own candidates,-  this is temporary.  After the election we go back to normal lives.   Our lives will not be altered by whoever wins the election.  It will remain the same if we do not change our attitudes, mindset and the way we behave.  Many nations have progressed inspite of the so "called leaders"  We carve our own destiny, not the so "called leaders" These prophets can be of doom and as Joker Arroyo has put it, it simply a battle among"\ Commissioners"  Kasi to the victor

belongs the spoils

The virus will control the outcome of our health problems; not the new leaders.  So let us save our anger and energy hitting hurting our friends and relatives about the election.  

People move nations not politicians

Can politicians really deliver promise to save citizens from poverty?

Social and political criticisms

Rizal PHL  May 17, 2013

The election is over and looking back the winners won on slogans of protecting the poor, and lifting them from poverty.

The leading senatorial lady elect candidate just did that -  promising to take care of the poor.  How noble and how stately promises.

But can they really do it?

Erap went for motto, "Erap para sa mahihirap" and easily won.

But poverty is a complex situation in life.  The government is not equipped to solve the personal problems of citizens.  The responsibility to exist and survive and be successful belongs to the individual and not government.

To pretend that the public sector leadership can solve the problem is a deception if not an outright lie. Yet many are gullible enough to believe.

If we are to solve poverty through  budgets and social welfare legislature, then we simply defer the inevitable and states are ill equipped to administer dole outs and social welfare.   There is simply too little resources to feed millions of hungry mouths.  If at all activists hate and wants to remove politics of patronage.  Ie the feudal landlord relationships, where feudal landlords dictate the lives of their fiefdom.  Nothing is achieved to repair/recast the system and the whole cycle of poverty remains.

In European countries and USA, the socialist leaning of governments to fight poverty through state welfare, without corresponding productive and adaptive capabilities has resulted in financial bankruptcies of states.  Their governments borrowed heavily to fund social programs:   health, education and welfare, resulting in massive billions of debt that governments can not hope to pay.

Even more so, how can you not charge taxes and still finance the social welfare, and/or service the huge debts?

The other alternative/options would be to fund this from:   PCSO, lotto, or contributions by contractors, lobbyists, other vested interests,  and /or jueteng.  And eventually, the politician would be labelled as corrupt.

Are the promises too simplistic, not well understood by those who mouthed them, or they just took the gamble. 

At the end of the day, they would be unable to keep their promises and be junked later in the next election