Since the weeklong heavy rains that submerged Metro Manila, Laguna province and other places in Luzon last July, flood control (or the lack of it) has been very much in the “hotspot” of national and local governments here in the province.
Proposals to dredge Laguna de Bay, calls for greater scrutiny in the implementation (and even the location) of flood-control projects, a business tycoon putting officials to shame not only by his “free” offer to completely dredge Laguna’s major rivers but also by his out-of-the-box ideas on how to solve the problem of flooding – all these have been topics of hot debate and discussion among concerned citizens, on the street and on social media.
Yet while the sun shines, the issue of flood control is a topic that deserves to talked, again and again.
We all know that with the constant intrigues, scandals and controversies that mark Philippine politics, vital issues that deserve to be discussed are prone to die off in a few weeks as “Marites” and attention-seekers find a new topic to be debated upon.
Public attention falls off, then government attention falls off, and everybody goes back to status quo – that is, until the next storm pours in and we all find ourselves drenched in another waterland.
We cannot let this issue of flood-control become another victim of our negative habit of “ningas-kugon,” where people’s attention inevitably wanes with each new issue or scandal.
If we let this all-too-important issue drown figuratively, we might just as well accept that our communities will all drown literally when the next big storm hits Laguna province.
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