The terrible flooding of Marikina, Pasig, Cainta, Pateros and Taguig last Sept. 26 should not happen again. Rains alone, during storm ?Ondoy,? could not have inundated these parts of Metro Manila. I moved to Marikina in 1965 and the sidewalk fronting my house had never been flooded prior to Sept. 26. In 1972, two weeks of rain flooded the low-lying areas in Manila as every prolonged downpour does, but Marikina never experienced the likes of the Sept. 26 deluge. In the street fronting my house, the flood level reached shoulder-high in 30 minutes?from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The affected localities were sacrificed because diverting excess water from Laguna de Bay through the Manggahan Floodway and the Napindan Control Systems would have flooded Manila, including Malacañang. The damage wrought on our property and the distress on our bodies and minds will remain etched in our memory for the rest of our lives.

Our family lived through four years of Japanese occupation, but never did I experience the anguish resulting from the Sept. 26 flooding. I am an octogenarian and the terrible experience has scarred my life.

I can only offer some suggestions to avoid the recurrence of the Ondoy debacle:

1. The government has to borrow billions of dollars from the World Bank, European banks and Japanese financial institutions for the reforestation of the Sierra Madre in Antipolo and Montalban; dredging of the river from Montalban to the Pasig River; construction of the mega-floodway from Laguna de Bay, through Parañaque, emptying into Manila Bay. Aside from dredging the river, dikes should be constructed on both sides of the waterway where the adjacent land is low-lying. One important condition that the lending countries and financial institutions should insist on is that the Philippine government should not play any role in the implementation of the projects, except for a Philippine Legislative-Executive Oversight Committee that will assess periodic reports on accomplishments vs plans. Foreign contractors accredited to the lending governments and financial institutions will implement the projects. Filipino contractors will play a secondary role.

2. The Philippine government will ensure that all obstructions in the implementation of the projects between Laguna de Bay and the Manggahan Floodway cum Napindan Control System are eliminated. Local government units will have no say anymore on subdivisions and settlers obstructing waterways. A public-private national agency will screen all subdivision and housing plans and permits.

3. In the matter of reforestation, tree-farming experts from New Zealand and Finland can be tapped to ensure that there are adequate supplies of forest products for furniture, paper-making, etc., with the planting of fast-growing trees that are harvested periodically. The services of dredging and flood-control experts from the Netherlands and the United States can also be engaged.

?APOLONIO G. RAMOS,
42 Mindanao St.,
Marikina City