Taytay relocation site flooded for more than a year

02-Jul-12, 7:32 PM | Tricia Aquino, InterAksyon | Photos by Rose Dianne Eola

A street in Barangay Sta. Ana, a relocation site in Taytay, Rizal, has been flooded for one year, earning the ire of its residents.

 

Since her family moved to Brgy. Sta. Ana, Taytay, Rizal, in November 2010, college student Rose Dianne Eola has had to wade through a flooded street just so she can get out of their block.InterAksyon.com
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"Ilang buwan na po ang baha dito sa amin. Kahit po walang ulan ay hindi ito humuhupa. Kapag umuulan naman po ay lalong tumataas ang tubig at lumalagpas na sa gutter," she said in an e-mail to InterAksyon.

("Our street has been flooded for months. Even when it doesn't, the water still doesn't subside. When it does rain, the water rises even above the gutter.")

"Kung mataas po ang tubig, kinakailangan ko pa pong lumusong sa baha dahil lagpas na sa gutter ang tubig. May mga tricycle drivers po kasi na hindi nagaakyat sa tuyo at hinahayaang lumusong ang mga pasahero nila. Dahilan po nila ay hindi raw po maiakyat dahil po mataas ang gutter. Kaya po kahit nakasapatos ka, palulusungin ka pa rin po nila. Minsan po ay galit pa sila," she continued.

("When the water is high, I have to wade through the flood because it rises above the gutter. Some tricycle drivers refuse to bring their passengers to the dry pavement, and allow their passengers to wade through the flood. They say it's because they have difficulty maneuvering the tricycle because the gutter is high. Even when you're wearing shoes, they will still force you to wade through the flood. Sometimes they even get angry.")

Kids splash about in the water, no matter how dirty it might be.

Eola said moss had started to grow on the cemented pavements, making it slippery to walk on. Some residents have even gotten into accidents because of it. The students in the area, in particular, have a hard time getting to the nearby school.

Some drainages, according to Eola, are hazardously uncovered, the flood making them difficult to spot.

She also noted the dangers to the residents' health, with mosquitoes laying eggs and vermin leaving droppings in the water.

"Perwisyo po talaga ang baha dito sa amin," she said. ("This flood is really a hassle for us.")

Eola lives in Lupang Arenda, a 270-hectare settlement along the shore of the Laguna de Bay.

To purchase a sachet of shampoo or a bottle of softdrinks, residents have to brave through this water in Lupang Arenda.

According to a February press release by the Presidential Communications Operations Office, the strip of public land was appropriated by former President Fidel Ramos for the growing number of informal settlers in Metro Manila. 

When Ondoy hit, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the relocation of residents from the same location.

The Aquino administration has since put a road dike in place to keep inhabitants safe.

In a phone interview with InterAksyon.com, head of the Municipal Engineering Department Engr. Ronald San Juan said the area was below water level, thereby resulting in floods.

"Talagang nasa shoreline ito ng Laguna Lake. Malalim talaga ito. Natatambakan pa ng basura at dumami na ang mga bahay," added San Juan.

("It is really situated on the shoreline of Laguna Lake. It is really deep. It has become a dumping ground for trash. The number of houses has increased, too.")

Home Along Da... not riles, nor river. But it seems like the latter.

He said the engineering department has been trying to improve public infrastructure for some time now. Roads, in particular, have already been put into place where there were originally none.

"Paunti-unti, sa abot ng makakaya." ("Bit by bit, as much as we can.")

Unfortunately, the municipality does not have enough to fund as many projects as he would like.

"Minsan nakakakuha sa national government ng kaunting grant para mai-develop. Pero ngayon walang pagkukunan dahil exhausted na ang funds, lalo na't third quarter na," he said.

("Sometime we are able to get money from the national government from grants. But we no longer have funds today, especially since we're already in the third quarter of the year.")

San Juan promised to send someone to inspect the area Friday to see what can be done.

As of press time, InterAksyon.com has not been able to contact him as they were told he was out in the field.

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2 public schools in Taytay sitting on top of danger zone

InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

MANILA, Philippines - Aside from the shortage of teachers and classrooms and seasonal floods, two public schools in Taytay, Rizal were found to be sitting on top of a potentially danger zone.

The two elementary schools in Lupang Arenda, Tipayan Elementary School and the Arenda Elementary School, are situated inside 270 hectares of land on the shores of Laguna Lake.

Tipayan Elementary School is always flooded while the more than 2,000 students of the adjacent Arenda Elementary School are cramped in just 14 classrooms so that the school has to schedule three shifts so they can be taught by teachers who are lacking in number.

But the greater danger lies in the fact that the area, where the schools are located, is already saturated in water which may cause liquifaction of the soil, and may pose real danger during an earthquake.

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Government sets up road dike in Lupang Arenda

Monday, February 20, 2012

MALACAÑANG said the government has set up a road dike in some areas of Lupang Arenda in Taytay, Rizal to minimize or prevent further liquefaction and to keep the residents safe from any disaster.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued the statement Monday amid reports that the entire 270-hectare Lupang Arenda in Taytay, Rizal, is unsafe for human settlement because of liquefaction.
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Lupang Arenda was established when former President Fidel V. Ramos issued Proclamation 704 and opened some 200 hectares of public lands in protected wetlands to accommodate the growing number of illegal settlers in Metro Manila. The settlement lies along the shorelines of Laguna de Bay and the natural lake water egress to Manila Bay along the Napindan Channel.

"After Ondoy, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued an Executive Order (EO) ordering the relocation of the families in Lupang Arenda. By that time there were already 50 thousand families occupying Lupang Arenda," Lacierda said.

Residents in Lupang Arenda were displaced when Typhoon Ondoy struck Metro Manila and nearby provinces in September 2009.

"The DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) has assessed and continues to assess Lupang Arenda, as some parts of Lupang Arenda were not suffering from liquefaction. What we have done thus far is to set up a road dike to minimize or prevent further liquefaction," he said.

Lacierda said there are ongoing studies on Lupang Arenda to determine whether the site is safe or not for human settlement.

"The administration is fully aware of the situation in Lupang Arenda and once we have the final decision made, we will inform the public. And yes, we are very much concerned about avoiding another disaster in any area," he said. (SDR/Sunnex)

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