TODAY, WE ALSO MAKE HISTORY!

SOMETHING SMELLS

By Alan S. Gensoli

Welcome to Something Smells, the column of the Bacolod Anti-Baha Alliance that will run three times a week, MWF. So first off, we would like to thank the Editorial Board of the Negros Daily Bulletin for giving us space. Considering how some media have been hushed for carrying our cause, this column is much needed breathing space. Alas, something smells.

The Bacolod Anti-Baha Alliance, or Baha, is a non-political organization of citizens concerned about the worsening flooding problem of the city. We aim to impel our local government to implement the following flood-mitigating solutions: construction of new floodways and rehabilitation of old waterways; the dignified resettlement of illegal dwellers who have been allowed by government to build structures on our waterways and pollute it with their garbage; and the education of all towards the practice of solid waste management.

In order for us to bring the matter about flooding to the consciousness of everyone, the Baha has decided to take on this column. Nine members have signed up to write, taking turns. We are Gigi Campos, Agnes Jalandoni, Ma-e Jalandoni, Lourdes Ledesma, Sally Ledesma, Tina Monfort, Nena Rossello, Marilyn Soliven, and myself. More will be joining us soon.

For this maiden column, let me attempt to bring you up to speed on the three flood-mitigating efforts mentioned earlier. These updates are not meant to be complete. We will be chewing on them in future columns.

Bacolod has over a dozen natural waterways. Through the years, these have become obstructed. Illegal structures straddle the waterways, including squatter homes and buildings, too. Latest survey estimates that there are less than five rivers and streams functioning.

Meanwhile, the P18 Million floodway project in Banago is a third of the way done. When we visited the project a month ago, I observed that the construction of the length of the floodway is interrupted by illegal homes that have yet to be vacated and demolished. Because of this, there are at least three floodway portions that have yet to be connected. In effect, instead of one long floodway, we now have Jurassic-size bath tubs with stagnant, dirty water. A rise in the incidence of dengue in the area should not surprise us then. Mind you, these illegal structures that remain along the path of the floodway have been declared nuisance, and some of its residents have received financial assistance to leave. One of our writers, Nena Rosello, sits in the flood control committee. She and our other writers will have more to tell you, including how these illegal dwellers are able to dwell illegally, complete with Baciwa connections. Indeed, something smells.

Meanwhile, Agnes Jalandoni, who sits in the housing committee, is raring to share stories about the city’s efforts to resettle illegal dwellers. By way of sneak preview, I am told that some illegal dwellers in Banago have been allowed to resettle themselves by the shoreline, it would seem, just waiting to be swept away by a sudden rise in sea level. Others have been given lots in Abada-Escay, the government’s latest resettlement project in Vista Alegre. Over there, you dig your own drainage, you find your own water, and dinner is always by candlelight because there is no electricity. Back in Banago, the GK is building 25 duplexes for 50 families. But with the floodway far from being finished, drainage is impossible. Awarding these homes will only condemn people into a life of misery and smell.

My pet peeve is garbage. Fellow writer Gigi Campos and I, together with other Baha members, sit in the solid waste management committee. Fundamental to our concern is this: RA 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (Art. 37, Sec. 1), the Implementing Rules and Regulations of R.A. 9003 (Rule XIII, Sec. 1), and the National Solid Waste Management Commission (Resolution No.5), the country’s lead agency for SWM implementation created under R.A. 9003, all require that “open dumpsites” in the country must be converted to “controlled dumpsites” by Feb, 16, 2004. And that by Feb. 16, 2006, all controlled dumpsites must be closed. Henceforth, garbage will be collected in “sanitary landfills”. By providing a time line for the transformation of open dumpsites into eventual sanitary landfills, the national government gave all LGUs enough time to build the sanitary landfill. And yet, to this day, in Bacolod City, we are still using an open dumpsite. We never even complied with the controlled dumpsite deadline (2004), let alone the sanitary landfill deadline (2006).

Who’s responsible for implementing solid waste management? The city or the barangays? I shall tell all in my next column. Till then, hold your breath because there again, something smells.

Vista Alegre: Pilot Barangay of Anti-BAHA Alliance SWM education drive

Vista Alegre is the pilot barangay chosen by the Bacolod Anti-BAHA Alliance for its Solid Waste Management education drive.

Jean Trebol, Agnes Jalandoni, Alan Gensoli and several members of the BAHA Alliance went out of their way to help in the SWM education campaign so that others will also contribute in the prevention of flooding in Bacolod City.

Vista Alegre Punong Barangay Jose Antonio Gensoli, purok leaders and the youth welcomed BAHA in its effort to help improve the solid waste management of Bacolod City.

Jalandoni said the Solid Waste Management group in the Mitigating Committee was requested to help in the education campaign and Alan Gensoli chose Vista Alegre as the pilot barangay for the education campaign.

If this will succeed in Vista Alegre, this can be replicated in other barangays, she said.

Jalandoni said that it's time to share to others about proper waste disposal and how it can be converted into money out of garbage segregation.

"We need to teach people how important are their contribution to this effort. We have to know how much garbage we dispose everyday. We all know that a lot of people contribute why our canals and surroundings get dirty simply because they are not doing their share. We have to educate ourselves on proper waste disposal. We should not throw our garbage carelessly. We should refrain from using plastics; we need to recycle bottles and cans so that only residual waste is left to be collected," she said.

She added that if she can do it, she urged others to also do their share so that the effort could mushroom, which will eventually lead to the benefit of the general public as well as our city.

She said that the education campaign will literally start from the uphill. And then hopefully it can be replicated. We just need to help one another in changing our attitude towards garbage. It's difficult but it is possible when we are all determined to do our share in making our city truly clean, green and floodless," she said.

She added that in foreign countries, people are disciplined in the proper disposal of garbage. Other Filipinos who worked overseas also adopted such practice. Their streets are clean because people follow the rules.

Punong Barangay Gensoli said that solid waste management is his priority program.

He said that Vista Alegre has many rivers. The river in Villa Angela started to get dirty because garbage and plastics are being thrown there.

The garbage collection was done once every month or two and now it was done once every two weeks. It started to get dirty as some residents just asked a poor kid with his trisikad to throw a sack of garbage and they were not aware that this is being thrown in the rivers. They just pay the kid and their garbage is thrown directly to the rivers.

He told his Purok Presidents to prohibit dwellers within the 50 meter distance from the river.He also thanked the Anti-BAHA Alliance for their concern and willingness to help educate the people about proper waste disposal. The first time that I met the BAHA members, they asked me about the first step that they will do to help in the SWM and I told them, help educate the people about solid waste management," he said.

He planned to make Vista Alegre as the model barangay for all the 61 barangay in terms of cleanliness. There is a Clean and Green competition for the barangays and the evaluation started this month until next month.

He said that he does not need the competition because he always sees to it that their barangay is regularly clean. "They can come here anytime and they will see how clean our roads are."

Since he became the Punong Barangay, solid waste management is his priority which particularly includes Abada-Escay, the resettlement area of the City Government of Bacolod.

He said that "We will continue to educate the people in Abada Escay because the dwellers there came from the 36 different barangays in the city and these people don't care about proper waste disposal. If you are looking for mountainous garbage, go to Abada Escay," he said.

He also instructed the barangay tanods to make rounds at night at Abada Escay because there are private individuals from outside the barangay who threw their garbage at night.

Moreover, Alan Gensoli said that the city government has allocated P3 million for its SWM, which was divided in all the 61 barangays.

The city has used the year 2000 Census as its basis with a formula of area x population.

But in 2000, Abada Escay was not yet been developed.

Now, Abada Escay has a population of 7,500 individuals.

Other barangays still receive the same SWM budget as if these 7,500 people are still there in their barangays and there was no increase of the SWM budget for Vista Alegre.

According to Councilor Greg Gasataya, the new SWM budget will take effect in 2010, Gensoli said.

He added that the situation in the Abada Escay is very difficult due to the absence of proper utilities like power, water and drainage. People were just transferred there even if it lacks preparation of the site.

Even the Gawad Kalinga in the Abada Escay also lacks these basic utilities.

Alan Gensoli said, "We need to educate the people about SWM because of health and ecology. Ecology is a Greek word which means home. If we clean our own home, why can't we clean our ecology, the earth, which is also our own home?"

He added that based on the RA 9003, City Ordinance 310, and solid waste management is the responsibility of the barangays. "We need to segregate at source. The Material recovery facility must be established in the barangay level so that the city will just collect the residual waste which will be  placed in a sanitary land fill. However the city has not yet started in its SWM education campaign.

The implementing agencies are DENR and National Solid waste management commission. Under NSWC Resolution 9, they categorize the Local Government unit on how many volumes of garbage are being disposed in a locality. Bacolod City is under category 4 because it has more than 200 tons of garbage being generated a day and it needs to have a sanitary land fill with a treatment pond.

According to the law, by February 16, 2004, the open dumpsite should be converted into a controlled dumpsite. But by Feb. 16, 2006, all controlled dumpsites should be closed. February 17, 2006 the use of sanitary land fill should start, "We are more than 2 years and a half delayed, that alone is against the law. The government is liable for that under the law.

Government swore to protect and preserve the integrity of the law. But here we are, just ignoring the law."

He said that the 7-hectare property which the city bought from Lopez is just beside the existing dump site and in two months from now, it will be fully filled up. "Do you think we could make a sanitary land fill immediately? It takes a year to do it. We need to teach our people to segregate so that the volumes of garbage could be reduced tremendously. There is so much money which can be made out of the trash. I have seen no reason why we will not segregate.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Trebol said they also conducted a waste characterization in Vista Alegre to determine what kind of waste they generate, and from there they can determine what kind of material recovery facility they will need.

After this, they will conduct a two day seminar, which is going to be more intensive for the SWM group in Vista Alegre.

She said that Alan Gensoli, head of the Alliance SWM Committee chose Vista Alegre because the success factor is high. The Punong Barangay and the Council are very eager to implement SWM.

She said that it's not easy to change people's attitude towards garbage. But if the city shows that they mean business, it will be easy. It has to start from them. "We are just here to help and show them the examples and hopefully it will be successful. And if it is, it can be something that everyone can follow. We want to show to all that's its doable if we all do our share and contribution to make the city clean, green and floodless."

Flood Control Planning Workshop Held

P375-M Needed to Ease Floods; City May Also Avail Loan

By Carla N. Cañet

The flood control planning workshop has been concluded yesterday and they got the real picture of what should be done to address the flooding problem in Bacolod City.

They need more or less P375 million to implement the necessary programs on flood control, solid waste management and housing and resettlement.

Mrs. Jean Trebol of the Bacolod Anti-BAHA Alliance said they have a long list of things and programs to be done with the full support of the City Government of Bacolod, their group, National Disaster Coordinating Council headed by Usec. Anthony Golez and other bran-hes of the Local Government of Bacolod.

“We have a long list and I am sure it’s doable if our Mayor will give his all-out support. There’s no question it can be done with the Mayor supporting it,” she said.

She suggested that the city obtain a loan if it doesn’t have the funds. “The Mayor has time to pay it. I am sure that if he gives his support, we can do this. He should support this as he was the one who invited us here together. So what’s the use of putting us together if he is not going to support it?”

The Alliance is very hopeful and expects that he is going to give his full support. Availing the loan is cheaper than the cost of the new government center and there will be no more flood, the group pointed out..

“What more do you want, the city is still flooding. Until the floodway is finished, it cannot totally eradicate, but it can minimize the flooding in the northern part of Bacolod,” she said.

She added that the informal dwellers have to be dealt with, the solid waste management should be given due attention. Councilor Roberto Rojas cannot clean the city faster than those who indiscriminately throw their garbage, Trebol pointed out.

“We need to educate everyone, let them participate in solving the problem. Everybody has to get involved. We will help in the education campaign and in fact, we already started the education campaign. We can do better if the city is with us,” she added.

She added that the plan is only good if it is implemented.

If there is no implementation, then it’s only a plan. Just like the 10-year old master plan on the dredging of two rivers. It became antiquated and the city has to start from scratch again.

“We think that there is sincerity on the part of the Mayor to solve the problem,” she said.

Mayor Leonardia said that, “We will try to squeeze what we have. Possibly, the loan is an option that we have to consider. We need huge funds and equipment-wise, the City Engineer’s Office need equipment as basic as backhoe and yet if we have to rely on the regular budget, we can’t have it. The loan is an option.”

The City can only use 30% of its 5% Calamity Fund for Disaster Preparedness. And 5% of P1 billion is worth P50 million.

Usec. Golez said that, “After all these figures have been said, they have to undergo some technical preparation by technical people. And those are just rough estimates. According to PD 1566, the one that defines disaster management in the country, the local government unit has a local calamity fund for which it can be used to begin with or initially. And whatever it is that they cannot finance, that’s the time the national government can help through the NDCC.”

Councilor Rojas said flooding is a major problem that the city is facing and “we have to come up with a budget of P375 million, considering that we have to make a drainage master plan and implement it. I believe if the city will avail of the loan and if the Sangguniang Panlungsod and the City Mayor will agree, I will push for it because it will solve the flooding problem on a long term basis. If the city decides to avail of the loan, I will go for it.”*

PUBLIC HEARING ON REGULATION ON USE OF PLASTIC

BAHA Says: Regulation on Plastics Use Good Bill But Needs Strict Enforcement

By Carla N. Cañet

The Anti BAHA Council participated in the public hearing conducted by Councilor Greg Gasataya, Chairman of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Environment, Wednesday relative to his proposed Ordinance which will regulate the use of plastic bags/plastic cellophane (polyethylyne) as packing/bagging materials and institutionalizing the use of biodegradable containers within the City of Bacolod.

Mrs. Jean Trebol, Norman Campos, Agnes Jalandoni, Nena Rosello, Franklin Villanueva, Phoebe Mellizo, Tina Monfort, Rene Hinojales, Dionisio dela Cruz, SM Supermarket Supervisor Jonalyn Diaz, representatives from Lopue’s Department Store, among others.

The public hearing was conducted at the SP Session Hall Wednesday where they have discussed options and suggestions to be considered in the proposed Ordinance.

Mrs. Trebol said that the Ordinance is really beautiful because plastics are the culprit in clogging the drainage and waterways.

But the city should ensure the strict implementation of this Ordinance.

“No one can blame the people for feeling skeptical in the sincerity of government to enforce laws because local laws and even national laws are just piling up but most of it never reached enforcement,” she pointed out.

The government should see to it that the laws being made should be implemented and strictly enforced, she said. “We want to see heads roll if they fail to implement this bill.”

She also asked Councilor Gasataya to rate the city’s enforcement of the Solid Waste Management and if there are failures on the part of the local government on the enforcement, then be open to admit it.

Councilor Gasataya in response has admitted that there is a problem.

But they have started the efforts of truly involving the barangays in the implementation of the Solid Waste Management more particularly in waste segregation and proper waste disposal.

Mrs. Trebol said the barangays should be in the frontline insofar as Solid Waste Management implementation is concerned.. They are really in the first line of defense on this program.

The habit of indiscriminately throwing or disposing garbage is so entrenched and so deep, therefore the government should exert effort on how to discipline the people, make them feel concerned about the environment. The education should be sustainable, she said.

Gasataya said this involves a long process of educating the public that they have a part in the implementation of the Solid Waste Management.

Hinojales also suggested that the government should encourage the public to make cleaning and greening a habit especially in the barangays.

The government can inspire people from doing their share by providing either incentives to those who follow the law and penalizing those who violate it.

“We want to see a barangay that is truly clean and green,” he said.

Gasataya said that they will revive the Clean and Green competition in the barangay.

Mrs. Trebol said that cleaning and greening of their respective barangay should be a habit. Yes, there is a competition and incentives for those barangay which will participate. But they should not forget that the purpose of the competition is not to receive the prize but learn and value cleaning and greening. Make it a habit, he said.

Mr. Diaz, SM representative has informed the body that they have already plastics that are biodegradable.

This has, in fact, impressed those in the public hearing because nobody was aware of its existence.

However, the BAHA council is so keen in asking SM where it is sourced and if it is really biodegradable.

They got a sample of the biodegradable plastic from Mr. Diaz for them to test it if it’s really degradable.* (CNC)

Anti-Baha Alliance: There's more to get done!

The Anti-Baha Alliance did an ocular visit Friday to various sites where the city has started its clearing, cleaning and dredging operations. 

They visited Purok Riverside's Zones 1, 2 and 3, Purok Mahimulaton temporary relocation center, the Kimara relocation site and at Purok Mahimulaton where Sipalay's Water Master did the dredging operation. 

Jean Trebol and her group went on every creek and pointed the portions where the city has left some work unattended. 

Trebol said the city is doing what it has promised, however, there is more to get done right and properly. 

She pointed the pile of garbage and a huge cut of wood in the middle of a river at the back of several houses in Zone 2, Purok Riverside. 

The flow of water is very slow and the color of the water is almost black which means it lacks oxygen. 

Garbage spreads everywhere and the siltation has almost eaten half of the river, Trebol said. 

The city's team has not finished some portions of what they have cleared and dredged, but they transfer from one place to another which is supposedly, they have to start clearing, cleaning and dredging from upstream particularly in the creeks in Barangay Bata and downstream in Banago, she said. 

"I am not an Engineer. But common sense will tell us that there's more to get done before they transfer to another place. There is no question that they are working. But what we want is for them to work right and properly," she said. 

The group went to Purok Mahimulaton to see the progress of the work done with the use of a rented water master. 

The Water Master operator continues to dredge but then there is no solution yet on how to haul out a mountainous pile of sand. 

Some squatters there have not yet vacated the place because according to them, they have not yet received financial assistance from the city. 

Trebol said her group would do everything to solve the flooding problem. 

"There is nothing political here. This is a legitimate cause that needs political will," she said. 

The group meantime plans to do an educational campaign on proper garbage disposal because garbage is really a problem in Bacolod. 

They wrote the Department of Public Services (DPS) regarding their operation as how many dump trucks are operating, how many tons of garbage are collected everyday and several questions which can be used as baseline to approach the problem intelligently. 

DPS has not answered us. There is no malice when we asked questions like that because we want to know where we can start helping solve the problem, she said. 

The Anti-Baha Alliance was formed when the flooding problem in Sta. Clara and Villa Valderama subdivisions in Mandalagan was on its worst form. 

Sta. Clara is a high end subdivision, but the residents there seems to be living in a pool when it rains because flood waters enter their homes, affecting their day to day chores. 

The city has been slow in addressing the problem until the Alliance made the longest caravan in time of the Western Visayas Tourism Assembly last November. 

They went to the City Council to submit their manifesto, asking the city officials to get down to work now that they are seated in power. 

"It's time that you work for us because we form part of the reasons why you are all here in the City Government. No more promises. Just show us that you are working on this problem," Agnes Jalandoni, their spokesperson said it before. (EASD)

BACOLOD'S GARBAGE PROBLEM

Friday, December 01, 2006

Sanchez: Hall of Shamer

By Benedicto Sanchez

NATURE SPEAKS

FINALLY, finally, the DENR has finally noticed something amiss with Bacolod City's solid waste management program.

Rhodora Capulso, chief of the regional public affairs office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region VI implied that Bacolod might lose its Hall of Famer status for the Cleanest and Greenest Highly Urbanized City in the Philippines if the city doesn't improve its garbage segregation and slaughterhouse services.

I'm glad Rhodora is back in town. I haven't seen her in ages since our community forestry days. Now, she's back in town to cover not the mountain forest of Salvador Benedicto and Calatrava but the urban jungle that is Bacolod.

My friends and readers know me as a "mountain man," focusing on mountain-related ecological concerns, especially on land tenure, forest conservation and sustainable livelihoods. I was the program coordinator then my organization BIND signed a contract with the DENR to organize the first community forestry program in Western Visayas.

But I live in Bacolod, which is a highly urbanized city. I felt awkward doing environmental and social development work for far-flung communities but not doing anything in my own community. Thus, when the Vancouver-based International Centre for Sustainable Cities (ICSC) came to Bacolod in 2002, I joined the multi stakeholder organization it formed.

The Canadians organized ICSC to bring the idea of urban sustainability into practical action. ICSC views itself as a broker, bringing together the business community, civil society organizations and various levels of government to tackle urban issues. During ICSC-sponsored workshops, our group of government, business and civil society representatives identified solid waste management as a felt need. Our core activities thus focused on waste segregation at source and practicing the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle). Our efforts eventually matured into putting in place Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

The Act was a product of long-standing advocacies by civil society and local government units wrought by the unsystematic management of the country's solid waste.

In line with RA 9003, the group pushed for segregation at source, segregated transportation, storage, transfer, processing, treatment, and disposal of solid waste and all other waste management activities which do not harm the environment.

Alas, all our efforts went for naught, both under the administrations of Oscar Verdeflor and Luzviminda Valdez. Now Evelio Leonardia continues their dubious legacy. To ensure compliance with waste segregation at source, we lobbied for the establishment of Material Recovery Facilities in Bacolod's three public markets.

As any jaded observer would note, that has yet to happen. It's still business as usual. Just go early morning or evening around Araneta Street and Central Market. Unsegregated wastes are simply dumped in the streets. While ecological awareness needs to be improved among Bacolod residents, sometimes you can't really fault them. There are simply no waste receptacles in every street corner, let alone segregation bins.

Oh sure, you can't fault the Bacolod aides for doing a good job. They sweep and collect the unsegregated wastes, and dump everything into the public market's skip hoists, those huge waste receptacles in public markets. Then the waste are collected and thrown into the controlled dumpsite.

Of course, a sanitary landfill remains a dream, maybe a pipe dream. More money is spent on hiring cleaning aides rather than creating a system for reducing, reusing or recycling wastes.

For Bacolod's executives, their mindset is not on ecological solid waste management. It's public relations, more like. Good source of employment for the urban poor-and of votes. As for public awareness, it's banking on the principle of out of sight, out of mind, no different from sweeping the dirt under the rug.

No wonder, Bacolod is now a flood-prone city. Its drainage system is clogged by trash. I'm sure the city government spends a bundle just to declog the system after floodwaters refuse to drain itself after a heavy downpour.

If the national level award is reactivated, Bacolod should compete not with the four other Hall of Famer cities of Baguio, Puerto Princesa, Olongapo and Marikina. I've been in these last three cities recently and I'm impressed. With Bacolod, it should consider competing for the Hall of Shame. I'm sure it will be an early favorite. Comments are most welcome. Please send email to bqsanc@yahoo.com For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.
(December 1, 2006 issue)

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.*