Negros Daily Bulletin
November 26, 2007

Heart of the Matter
by Edgar Cadagat
Outraged by Anti-BAHA Alliance

FLOOD DESTROYS ONE'S PATIENCE. It is always said that in terms of news and news coverages, as editors would say it, "No News is good news."

This means that when a dog bites a man, this is not news because it happens in everyday life. It is only news when the dog is rabid, for example, and goes on a rampage, biting say, a dozen of people sending them on to the hospital for treatment.

It is the same with floods. Floods happen all over the country making people's lives miserable. Years ago, floods unleashed by sustained and heavy rains, not only caused waist-high waters but flowed into backyards and into apartments complete with soft, dirty, slithering mud. It took us a whole day to clean up the mud and muck, also sending us cursing beneath our breaths.

That was more than 15 years ago, an experience our journalist's brain remembers in small details. That flood broke our patience. Thus, too, did it to members of the Anti-Baha Alliance which makes us understand what and how they feel about the situation.

AN EQUALIZER. Like the second world war, or more so nature's onslaughts, the flood has become an equalizer as the declaration of those in the Anti-Baha Alliance showed. Not only are the poor affected but the well-heeled residents of posh subdivisions as well. Those affected have insisted concrete efforts and not mere promises would now do, drawing the line against those in the local government which it said have failed to do their homework and have been engaged in finger-pointing, instead.

LONG TERM SOLUTION NEEDED. But everyone agrees that a long-term solution to the problem of flooding is needed. Clearing the waterways including the creeks, rivers and canals will no longer do. On the other hand, a comprehensive building of a drainage system in Bacolod City is needed but which will take years to do. Before this, a survey must be conducted, studies done. But with residents in Banago, Sta. Clara, Capitolville, ERORECO, Mountain View and nearby subdivisions affected by the flooding, those in the city government were forced to create a task force to deal with the problem.

Thus, dredging of the Banago River, surrounding waterways and clearing and cleaning of canals are to be done.

Unfortunately, urban poor residents whose houses have been sitting on waterways have to be transferred to facilitate the clearing, Bobby Rojas of the city government's task force on clearing said.

A HUGE PROBLEM. Those other areas of the city could emulate the example of the Anti-Baha Alliance especially in Northern portion of the city, likewise demanding that something should be done to either minimize or prevent floodings even when it rains normally. This will prove to be a problem to officials of the city government, primarily, Mayor Evelio Leonardia, who could lose political ground if he is perceived to be lackadaisical in responding to the demand for solving the problem.

Laying blame on others won't do now because the fired-up members of the Anti-Baha Alliance could mount a sustained lobby giving rise to a public perception that his administration is inept, even more so, incompetent.*

FLOODING CONTINUES EVEN WITH LITTLE RAIN... NOV. 19, 2007

Creek near Lopue's MandalaganSon of a Purok Riverside resident wading in flood waters
Purok Riverside
Purok Riverside

THE RAVAGES OF THE LAST FLOOD IN BACOLOD OCTOBER 31, 2007

Thursday, November 15, 2007 Sunstar Bacolod
Ariola: Bing's flood
By Jose Paolo Ariola

I STILL WALK THE LINE

I must give this caveat to my readers at the onset for I am about to tread on perilous waters. The heathen that I am, I don't usually write about biblical matters because I believe I am not worthy. But with the way things are happening in this beloved city of ours in the past few weeks, a thought occurred to me that perhaps a message is being sent from up above for our city officials to ponder about in the light of the recent developments in the City of Smiles. Thus, at the risk of being misconstrued I will dare proceed.

We all know from the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, that whenever the Heavenly Father wants to chastise or knock some sense into the minds of man, He'd send some deluge or pestilence to straighten things out. Remember the Pharaoh Ramses and what God did to Egypt because of his adamant refusal to set the Israelites free? God unleashed locusts, frogs, turned the waters of the River Nile into blood, and for the coup de' grace, sent the Angel of Death to kill all the first born sons of Egypt. And then there was Sodom and Gomorrah and how God destroyed the two cities by means of fire. Of course, we all are fully cognizant of the story of Noah's Ark and the Flood. This story of the great inundation has been told and retold repeatedly through the centuries of our Christian existence. In fact lately, it has been given a more contemporary depiction in that zany movie entitled "Evan Almighty" where the main character, who before his transformation into a modern-day Noah, happened to be a politician (so much for similarities).

So what's biblical catastrophy got to do with the goings-on in Bacolod? Well, at first, I didn't really give it much of a thought. But as recent events unfolded lately, I somehow noticed some signs. For instance, at the height of the STL fiasco, did not the Bishop of Bacolod City himself, the Most Rev. Vicente Navarra, lead a phalanx of clerics and lay faithful to the City Council to plead not to allow STL to operate in the city. But what did the good Bishop get from City Hall? A stinging rebuke. No less than mayor himself smote Bishop Navarra as he chided the local Catholic Church not to proselytize against the immorality of gambling.

And then the rains fell. If we will recall last October 31, 2007 it rained like hell in Bacolod City incessantly from 6:00 o'clock p.m. up to about 10:00 o'clock p.m. literally flooding the main thoroughfares of the city from Bata to Tangub and elsewhere. Traffic stopped still leaving many a vehicle conked out in its wake and stranding many motorists.

Last Tuesday, it rained cats-and-dogs once again early in the morning wreaking havoc in the city's streets. Now the collective consciousness of well-minded Bacolenos has been struck by rapid rising floodwaters in the city. They've organized themselves into an alliance with a very appropriate, if not, pun-like acronym-Baha- to dramatize their displeasure against City Hall's inaction vis-a-vis the worsening flood problem of Bacolod.

Oh well, indeed the Lord works in mysterious ways. Some call it "gaba" (divine retribution). Others call it rather sarcastically as "mirisi" or "ti man" (as in "you-had-it-coming"). The pundits may have thought that, in the aftermath of the STL tussle, it was City Hall which got the upper hand. Almost, but not quite it seems. Guess every time there is a downpour from hereon, City Hall would do well to listen to the voices within the drizzling rain and heed the Cathedral's call before Heaven's wrath will reach biblical proportions. In the meantime, let's brace ourselves for more rains.

IMMINENT DANGER DECLARED TO ADDRESS FLOODING

BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

A resolution declaring an imminent danger of calamity in Bacolod City was passed by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod Wednesday.

Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson yesterday said the request was made by the Mayor for the city to be able to use its calamity fund for additional flood control activities.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia said the amount of P10 million appropriated by the SP in March 2, 2007, is not enough considering the additional flood control activities needed to be undertaken by the city, in his letter to the SP dated November 14.

Leonardia said the additional amount of P2.5 million will be used for flood control projects. He said this includes the P1.5 million which will be used for the dredging of the 500 meters floodway in Purok Riverside which is part of the 800 meter flooding bypass project of the DPWH.

The DPWH has a budget of only P6 million which is only enough to put up a retaining wall of 300 meters in the area, Leonardia said. The city volunteered to excavate the 500 meters but it is the DPWH that will construct the floodway, he said.

Leonardia met with the representatives of the Bacolod Anti-Baha Alliance at City Hall yesterday. However, one of its member, Jean Trebol, told the media that they don't want what they have discussed in the meeting reported. So the media walked out of the room.

Leonardia said he explained to the group what actions the city has undertaken to resolve the flooding problem because it appears that they are the ones solely being blamed for it.

He said that after a series of meetings they held with the City Engineers Office, the Department of Public Works and Highways and those affected by the December 2006 flooding incident, the city agreed to dredge the Banago Creek and Mandalagan River .
Leonardia said the dredging of the Banago Creek was delayed by the election and the bidding for the equipment but it was started in August without fanfare.

He said the dredging in Banago Creek was hampered by the presence of illegal structures near the entrance to the Banago port. He said the DPWH issued notices to the 26 owners of the illegal structures but since no action has been taken yet, the SP declared as nuisance all structures along the rivers and creeks so the city could demolish them.

Councilor Roberto Rojas said they found out that there were 35 families that had to be removed from the area. He said these families were served notices of eviction by the City Legal Office Wednesday but they requested that the city defer the demolition of their structures since it will be Christmas.

Rojas said the affected families will be provided a relocation at the Vista Alegre-Granada (Abada-Escay) relocation site, while there are some associations in Banago that are willing to accommodate them.

Leonardia said the city has substantially resolved the flood problem and even assumed the responsibility of the DPWH. “We have done our share but of course we know we still have a lot of work to do,” he said.

The BAHA held a caravan around the city Wednesday and presented their manifesto to the Mayor and the SP.

Leonardia said they are trying to be vigilant because “there are ‘rumblings in the ground' that some people might take advantage of the situation or manipulate it. “To the group, I am giving them the presumption of regularity, but at the same time we are vigilant against those who might take advantage of the situation,” he said.
Leonardia, on the other hand, said he is thankful that the Bacolod City Flood Control Action Team, headed by Rojas is very active, he added.

The city, together with the City Engineer's Office and the Amity Volunteer Brigade started its clean-up operation yesterday in Brgy. Banago.

Rojas said that from Banago they will clean up Bata and other affected areas in the city including those in the southern portion. We are doing our best to solve the problem right away, he said added that he welcomes everybody who wants to help. One of the factors that cause flooding is garbage, especially plastic materials, he added.

Meanwhile, the SP also passed a resolution Wednesday requesting the Mayor and the Bacolod Congressman to direct the City Engineering Division and the DPWH to conduct clearing and cleaning of all drainage culverts located in their respective area of supervision and to appropriate funds for the purpose.

The resolution was authored by Councilor Catalino Alisbo.*CGS

PROTESTORS DEMAND ACTION, REFUSE TO HEAR EXPLANATION

BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

Visayan Daily Star

Thursday, November 15, 2007

The convenors of the Bacolod Anti-Baha Alliance yesterday demanded action from Bacolod City officials and refused to listen to their explanation on steps they have taken to act on the flooding problem in the city.

The group also staged a caravan around the city before the City Sanggunian session started that involved about a hundred vehicles.

Meanwhile, City Legal Officer Allan Zamora issued notices of eviction yesterday to 35 families in Barangay Banago, whose structures obstruct the dredging work being undertaken by the city to address the flooding problem.

In a privilege speech during the Sangguniang Panlungsod session, Agnes Jalandoni said their primary purpose was merely to deliver their “humble but violent plea” to finally put into action all that had been promised them by the city, when Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson referred them to Councilor Roberto Rojas for an update on the action taken by the city.

Jalandoni said they don't want the same promises given to them in the past. She said they want to see action first and until that time, “we refuse to listen to any proposal until one creek is cleared and it is to the satisfaction of the residents in that area”.

Sayson told the group that they were able to address their concerns and even approved a P10 million budget to start the dredging works. “We are attending to your needs. It might be a little bit slow, considering the government accounting policies that we have to face, but we are doing something,” he said.
Jalandoni said “You asked us to vote for you and we voted for you. It's time for us to tell you and request you because we voted for you.”
She also reminded the city officials that when they came to City Hall in March 2007 they swore that if somebody dies because of the flood, all of them will be held to blame.

From the session hall, the group met with Mayor Evelio Leonardia who invited them to a meeting in City Hall today.

In his letter to the BAHA group dated Nov. 14, Leonardia said the Bacolod City Flood Control Coordinating Action Team has mobilized resources of both the city and the Department of Public Works and Highways and has started implementing action plans.

He said integration of plans as well as resources from government and all community sectors is direly needed now. More importantly, synergy of all their potential capabilities is most important, he said.
Leonardia invited the group and all its members to join the city in its implementation of emergency measures and long-term solutions to the flooding problem in Bacolod City .

Councilor Roberto Rojas, who heads the action team, also invited the BAHA group to the clean-up drive the city is conducting together with the DPWH and the Amity group along the waterways of Brgy. Bata to Purok Riverside in Banago today. He said they need the cooperation of everybody if the flooding problem is to be resolved.

The clean-up drive is part of the city's flood control action plan which include the relocation of the 35 houses in Banago, the dredging of the Banago Creek and Mandalagan River , among others.

Leonardia has also requested the SP to allocate P1.5 million for the dredging of the 500 meter floodway project of the DPWH in Purok Riverside that will divert the flow of water from the main creek so it will not pass the Sta. Clara Subdivision. The floodway project is a stretch of 800 meters, but the DPWH budget is only good for 300 meters.

“We have done our share and we have taken concrete actions,” Leonardia said. He said the Bacolod Housing Authority has also identified 30 slots at the Vista Alegre-Ganada (Abada Escay) relocation site for the squatter families in Banago who will be affected by the demolition.

Executive Assistant to the Mayor Joemarie Vargas said Leonardia had a drainage master plan during his first term as mayor but this was not implemented because his term ended. He said the Sta. Clara homeowners had also promised to furnish the city their drainage master plan.*CGS

BAHA REFUSED INVITATION TO BE IN TASK FORCE

by Gil Alfredo B. Severino
SUNSTAR BACOLOD
Thursday, November 15, 2007

"It is not our task to fix a problem." This was the statement of Agnes Jalandoni, one of the conveners of the Bacolod Anti-Baha Alliance (Baha) which staged a motorcade of 100 vehicles around the main streets of Bacolod Wednesday. After the motorcade, more than a hundred participants stayed at the City Hall's Fountain of Justice where Mayor Evelio Leonardia personally accepted their seven-point “demand” letter.

A spokesman was chosen to appear before the City Council. Jalandoni said Baha refused the invitation of the council. As stated in a Baha manifesto, "We have patiently borne and carried through the years the havoc wrought upon our lives by the flooding in the city, where even the shortest heavy rains or the rising of the tide results in the inundation of entire sections...endangering our very lives." Jalandoni explained the refusal, adding, "What do we know about sitting in a task force? Fixing the flood problem is City Government's task. Baha like media are watchdogs," she said. "The City Government should do its part and Baha as citizens will do its part," Jalandoni also said.

Members of the Tsinoy community represented by president of the Bacolod Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (BFCCCI) James Chua and president emeritus Alfredo Barcelona were also at the Fountain of Justice. In an interview, Chua stressed, "We will participate in any move that will benefit the City of Bacolod." "Like the Baha conveners, we saw how the City had misaligned their priorities. They had a budget to maintain an old airport but they had none for the anti-flood system. Wrong priorities!" Chua said. "The City's efforts are not commensurate to the enormity of the problem," he added. A look at the City's Annual Investment Plans from 2004 to 2007 showed that under the entry "Drainage, Construction, Repair and Maintenance" (DCRM) is a budget of P34,665,000. By opportunity cost analysis, local experts opined that this amount is good enough to launch a serious drainage system project based on a well-studied Master Plan for the entire City.

Assistant City Engineer for Drainage Joel Locsin earlier said that such an amount is sufficient, feasible, and affordable. "What actually happened is that over the years little had been accomplished because the amount released gradually goes to canals and ditches that allow water to flow from one barangay to another," Locsin said. "What we need is to follow a master plan which we have already submitted to the City Development Planning Office," Locsin said. "A master plan is very expensive to make but we already have one. This should already lessen the problem," Locsin added.