Flood-weary Malabon cries for mercy

Flood-weary Malabon city folk and the present leadership can only cry for mercy amid the scourge’s unrelenting assault to their daily lives.

On Friday, City Mayor Canuto "Tito" Oreta admitted before reporters, the floods continue to be the number one stumbling block to the progress and development of Malabon.

"We are pinning our hopes on the final solution that will be offered by the completion of the (P3.9-billion) Camanava Flood Control Project. But as it is, the project, which has undergone several groundbreaking ceremonies, is still moving too painfully slow. We know that the national government is also in dire financial straits, so who can we turn to? By ourselves (local government), we can never completely check the floods. Di kaya ng budget," Oreta said.

Oreta said the floods have critically affected real property values in the city. Instead of investments coming in, he disclosed that the more affluent residents have even began an exodus out of this daily scourge.

"If you see the locals abandoning the city for better lives elsewhere, how can we even begin to attract investors from outside the city?" Oreta pointed out.

At the moment, the mayor said they can only resort to temporary or stop gap measures. He said of the seven or nine pumping stations, mostly in the city’s flooded first district, only two or three are working.

"Spare parts are sorely needed but there are no funds for their purchase," he said.

Malabon, for the moment, is at the mercy of nature and hopelessly clinging to the promised speedy construction of the mega flood control project.

"When will redemption finally come to us?" they cry. – Jerry Bortial