Disaster Search For Solutions
Preventing Armageddon
Two disaster prone communities show the value of being prepared in the face of natural hazards
MANILA – Dagupan goes down in history as the milkfish capital of the country, producing 35,500 tons of milkfish every year. But such distinction has its consequences. The prime sources of livelihood, Pantal River and Lingayen Gulf, produce the worst floods in the city, taking lives and properties every year.
'Freak of nature,' not just dams, caused North Luzon floods
It was to be expected. Within days after floodwaters engulfed much of Northern Luzon, people started looking for someone to blame. And they latched on a usual suspect: the dams.
At 2 am on October 9, the San Roque dam spilled water at over 5,300 cubic meters per second into the downstream areas of the Agno river.
Gibo denies delaying purchase of rubber boats
MANILA - The Department of National Defense (DND) denied on Tuesday that Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. was the cause of the delay in the procurement of rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs), which could have been used to save lives at the height of tropical storm Ondoy.
Gibo delayed purchase of rubber boats
MANILA - Defense Secretary Gilbert 'Gibo' Teodoro was warned about the possibility of widespread flooding this year and was advised to immediately order rescue boats, but the procurement has been delayed after he opted for public bidding.
Metro flooding: were the dams to blame?
If dam authorities did not spill water on September 26, the dams could have broken and flooding could have been worse.
P1-B flood warning system wasted due to neglect
Japanese project could have minimized 'Ondoy' casualties
MANILA - Expensive flood warning equipment and devices have been rendered idle and put to waste because of neglect following the transfer of flood control from the public works department to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
Who do we blame for untrammeled hyperurbanization in Manila?
We need to bring public scrutiny to bear on the big, if hard-to-answer, issues of unsustainable urbanization and land use.
Flooding in Metro: who is to blame?
MANILA - Many have blamed the devastation caused by tropical storm Ondoy on climate change. But in the case of Metro Manila, urban planners and public works engineers say that is not all there is to it.