Floods, rats and buwayas

This is getting to be a more frequent pattern.

Even just a few hours of rain, then floods, thousands of commuters/vehicles stranded, unpassable streets, highways, and more.

Everyone seems to accept these scenarios as givens, as part and parcel of our wet history as a nation.

Our Filipino people are described as resilient, enjoying the floods in their own ways – have you seen FB posts of one jetskiing through the floods, groups cheerfully rowing makeshift “sofa” or other floating “rafts”, one couple even pushing through with their wedding inside a flooded church?

“Onli en de Pilipins” where floods are enjoyed in cities rather than cursed?

No, not true for all Filipinos.

Our farmers who lose their crops, our fisherfolks unable to go out to fish, students, teachers, laborers kept away from schools and work are not among those “resilient” that find joy and entertainment with floods.

Many of those who gleefully wallowed and played in the floods may now be sorry for their temporary entertainment.

The Department of Health warned about the increase in the number of Leptospirosis transmitted by the leptospira bacteria to humans through contact with water, food or soil contaminated by the urine of infected animals like rats.

Nationwide, since June 8, 2, 396 cases of leptospirosis have been recorded.

Fast lanes to respond to leptospirosis cases have increased in cities and in 8 provinces. No data yet for Cebu Province and cities reported as of this writing.

The rats are blamed for the infection during floods.

Often, unjustly, the poor are those blamed for the basura that clog waterways in cities. Surely, they are not the only ones who cause the floods throughout cities and provinces?

Time for urgent/serious review/planning/implementation of effective flood response-management.

Floods cause destruction, injury, deaths even.

What has government done about flood control/management?

Oh, the buwayas among the government officials have long enjoyed their wallowing in flood funds through the years!

Despite billions and so-called flood control projects all throughout the cities and provinces through decades, our people have borne the wrath of typhoons and floods.

Shouldn’t the Filipino people now insist on reckoning and accountability?

In his SONA, BBM called for a review of all flood control projects.

As a result, reports are now out listing the projects, the contractors, including showing and asking about the connection of these contractors for flood control and other government projects with those in Congress, in other national and local government units.

“Demolition job, political harassment” are heard from top officials linked to big-time contractors.

The Filipino people deserve the truth about all these big-time infrastructure projects that siphoned our people’s money into select private pockets.

The buwayas deserve to be thrown back where these creatures belong – in waters, rather than in the halls of Congress and government units.

Their selfish agenda has resulted in deaths, injuries, destruction, despair among thousands upon thousands of our poor and needy.

The buwayas are beyond shame. Thick-skinned, always eager to pounce, take what is not theirs.

How to eliminate the rats, the buwayas from the floods that harm our people, our resources?

Where you are, mobilize a group that will monitor the government projects in your location.

Document all involved, the private groups/contractors, the officials mentioned as claiming these projects as their own.

Take photos, seriously, systematically note the project implementation period- start, duration of construction, end of project.

Then, more importantly, document, photograph the condition of the project within a year, through the years.

Praise the honest, sturdy projects, expose the wasteful, useless projects in your areas as well as hold accountable all those involved in the wasteful projects.

As a whole nation, let us all together be involved in finally making all public officials accountable and transparent about their private use of our people’s funds.