Recover lost natural waterways

The senior citizens among us remember that there were less flash floods occurring in our city decades ago. It would take quite an extra ordinary amount of rainfall before raging waters would inundate our homes. Then, we had natural defenses among which was the fact that there was so much open space such that mother would simply absorb the rain into its bosom. Such protection is now lost owing to our construction of structures over almost every available square meter of land resulting in our throwing rainwater into the undersized canal system instead.  

Our second line of natural defense was the earthly depressions that served as the funnels each time the downpour was hard and prolonged. Nature had it that in many parts of our city there were earthly formations that functioned to catch water and drain it to the seashore. For myriad reasons, they have disappeared. As a consequence, rainwater no longer is flowing naturally to the shoreline.

There is a need to go back to the original map of the Bureau of Lands to find out where were the natural waterways. Environmentalists and responsible government officials must trace back the records and identify the areas that God gave us as funnels and whenever we can, restore them to their original condition. They were, actually, dry creeks in many parts of our city. For purposes of specificity, I will try to recall such areas that the knowledgeable ones in our midst may validate.

The first example I have in mind was located along P del Rosario Street, on the side of what is now Barangay Kamagayan. There was an earthly depression in that part of our city that was wide enough that a wayward jeep could be lost on it. It stretched about a hundred meters. During heavy rains, it would catch the water cascading from the elevated portion of the University of San Carlos and the Pelaez Street.

Fronting the St. Theresa College, was such another natural waterway, for my second example. Because it crossed the then Mango Avenue, large culverts were utilized for water to flow thru to the other side of the street and unto a natural canal that snaked to exit somewhere near the Sacred Heart Center along D Jakosalem Street.

My third example was a creek at the entrance of what was once known as the Villa Aurora Subdivision, in Barangay Kasambagan. Over that waterway was built the F. Cabahug Street. The huge culvert allowed the water to flow from somewhere near what is now the IPI complex ultimately down to Mahiga River at BarangayMabolo.

As I said above, these three examples of natural waterways, like many others in our city, no longer exist or if they do, they are in such width as to be incapable of absorbing even the lightest of the rain. Their disappearance is, without doubt, a great contributor to the recurrence of floods hereabout.

And as I also said above, government authorities have to locate and restore them to their original condition. If these were, indeed, recorded as waterways, they are characterized as public domain and as the legalese among us contend, they are beyond the commerce of man. Government effort to take back these works of nature is late, but it is not a reason for our officials to allow this illegal conversion to continue. On their side, is the force of law and they need not relent because the only end of such effort is public weal.

 Surely, private interests, those responsible for covering these natural waterways are going to be affected. By their appearance, they are powerful groups. They wield considerable influence. It is not entirely impossible to imagine that they are heavy contributors to the political campaigns of many of our elected officials. Using their seemingly inexhaustible resources, they are capable of putting up fight against all efforts for them to remove whatever they might have done to clog, if not cover, these water courses but considering that they do not apparently stand on legal ground, their mighty resistance will, upon incessant legal assault, eventually crumple.

On this thesis, let us retrieve these natural waterways now.