Photo courtesy:ACT Partylist
Flooding is commonplace in Metro Manila and Luzon and nobody gives it a political undertone. Last week Davao City had its share of unusually heavy and long rainfall some low-laying places were flooded but in a couple of hours the rainwater subsided.
Unlike before, the flood water from Davao river did not breach the embankment where flood control infrastructures had been constructed thus the flood-prone subdivisions like Gem Village and Jade Valley have been spared from devastating neck-deep floods that occur during rainy days. In fact, had the barangay officials conducted clearing operations of clogged drainage the flash flood may not have happened at all.
That is as far as the urban center is concerned. Deep in the rural areas, a bridge was enundated by sheer force of mudflow on account of non-stop rains that had loosen soil upstream.
ACT Partylist Antonio Tinio lost no time and rushed to the Ombudsman to have the flood control projects in Davao City investigated. Paid political black propagandists outdid each other making a big issue of the floods which occurred in the city as though it was in the magnitude of Noah’s age. Tinio was grinning ear-to-ear thinking he finally got even with the conviction on one of their own ACT party list representstive – France Castro – who was caught en flagrante holding and transporting 14 children of indigenous tribes in Talaingod, Davao del Norte to an undisclosed place.
ACT representatives are not happy particularly with then Mayor Sara Duterte who played an important role in the neutralization of CPP/NPA in Davao City which the Armed Forces of the Philippines first declared as insurgents-free. That is where the tantrums of Tinio is coming from.
Tinio thought that the Cong. Polong Duterte could be held accountable for the collapsed bridge. It did not occur to the ignoramus that Polong is Representative of the 1st District while the bridge is located in the 2nd District. The bridge too was planned, funded and constructed during the terms of the Garcia political family.
As I write this piece, rain is pouring like “cats and dogs” but code green remains the same in Tamogan and Davao river. DPWH by now must have assessed the damaged in Caliawa bridge.
What should be the primordial concern of the City Government for now is to clear the road leading to the garbage dumpsite which was also enundated by flash flood. There are other places which needed immediate attention as these are potential places of accidents waiting to happen. I am referring to the leaning wall at the corner of F.S. Dizon Street and J. P. Laurel Avenue and the fissure on the same street (F.S. Dizon/El Rio) next to the yawning depth of excavation where the three condominium towers are undergoing construction. The only preventive structure that separates the excavation and the heavy traffic is a tarpaulin.
While I am still in FS Dizon St. I suggest that the Office of the City Mayor conduct an occular inspection of busy junction at Caneda street. A portion of that junction I believe was meant for the firetrucks. It looks like the adjacent place is a barangay office. The fire station and trucks have lost its station. The pedestrian lane is now occupied and owned by vendors or used as extended space for the stores in the area. There is a huge mound of sand and gravel which block the promenade. All these are happening under the nose of barangay authorities.
Sad site for our city which survive the indifference of the national government. Barangay officials should do their part to keep our city clean and orderly. Remember, 20 units more of EV state of the art passenger buses are on the way to modernize the city transport system. Let those who criticize and smear the image of Davao City salivate for what they do not have and die of envy.
