House Speaker Martin Romualdez

IT WAS raining “cats and dogs” last Saturday night. We later learned that the rains that lasted more than two hours non-stop happened not just in isolated areas in Davao City but almost all over including the downtown areas.

According to reports that was confirmed to us by our son-in-law who was at the city’s downtown as early as two o’clock Saturday afternoon until 1 A.M. of Sunday, most of the city’s low-lying areas were already flooded, some deep, others still “wadable.”

In fact, he saw members of the City Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) already issuing warning to residents to be ready should a mandatory evacuation be ordered.

Good thing the strong rains subsided after almost three hours while the flood water was already submerging the ground level of houses. In thirty minutes, the water started to subside. The residents’ fear also started ebbing out.

Did the Davao City’s escape of a disastrous flood last Saturday mean the flood control projects constructed on certain stretches of major rivers like Davao, Matina Pangi, Lipadas, Bunawan, Lasang and the up-streams of Tamugan and Suwawan Rivers were implemented by honest contractors and done in accordance to specifications?

Maybe so. But what if the rains continued to pour with no let-up, or that Davao City is a regular path for typhoons? Will the floods be prevented? What if the local government continues to allow its zoning ordinance to be flexible to land use applications of big-time property developers and industries that use as enticement for approval promise of monetary consideration or opportunity to recommend employment of a number of the city’s constituents?

Just observe what is happening to the hillsides of Magtuod these days. Posh residential enclaves are starting to sprout. Anyone can also fix their eyes on the disappearance of hectares and hectares of coconut and durian farms between barangays Ula and Tacunan, the soon-to-vanish mangosteen plantation in Biao Escuela in Tugbok District.

The areas mentioned will, in due time, give way to residential subdivisions consisting of low-, middle-income, and high-end sections. Soon, the areas that used to be planted to coconut palms and various other fruit trees that help hasten the rain water absorption will be replaced by concrete house floors and subdivision roads that aid in the faster flow of water direct to the nearest rivers.

In the process, they contribute to the increase in volume of the water accumulating in the main rivers. So, what comes next is the overflow in areas along the river banks or near main drainage canals that cross the city’s downtown.

And as we ponder on these possibilities of a flooded Davao City, we are reminded of a proposed Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded flood-water catchment project intended to be located in the plains of sitios Luman and Battalion along the Davao River.

We were aware that officials of the City Housing Office already visited the mentioned places and have conducted initial consultations with residents to possibly get a feel of their pulse on the planned project.

But somehow the “bullish” talks about that anti-flood project slowly died down. The City Housing people who usually drop by our cold snack center along the road leading to the destination were nowhere to be seen and that we already stop hearing anything about the JICA project.

What happened to the plan? Did JICA withdraw its funding offer? Or, did the local officials decide to forego with the project because being a foreign-funded one, the anticipated “opportunities” are hard to come by because the funding entity normally keeps a closed guard in the project implementation and utilization of project funds?

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Would you know that the ongoing controversy brought about by the mega issue of corruption-laden multi-billion flood control projects in only two of the country’s provinces – Bulacan and Mindoro Oriental –  has given some young members of the Lower House their opportunity to shine.

Probably these lawmakers are envious of the status that Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto has created for himself through his no-nonsense and clean governance.

First, there was youthful ultra-rich neophyte Congressman Leandro Legarda Leviste who suddenly shot up to prominence when he caused the arrest of a district engineer of the DPWH in Batangas for allegedly attempting to bribe him with P350 million just to stop him from investigating the agency’s substandard anti-flood and other infrastructure projects.

Leviste, for a time, dominated the newspapers front pages and headlines of radio and television news. He also became a major subject in various social media platforms.

Days later came the younger Congressman Barzaga of Cavite who caused a stir in the Lower House when he questioned Speaker Martin Romualdez who, as the Speaker, hired or designated former Congressman Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte as his spokesperson to respond to issues hurled against him.

Just how long will Leviste and Barzaga stay in the limelight and how would they prolong their stay on top, we have no idea. But at least they now have a taste of what it is to be positively in the people’s consciousness.