Dodong, Egay, Falcon, southwest monsoon inundates Luzon

For nearly three weeks, these storms together with an enhanced southwest monsoon, pounded Luzon. First was Tropical storm Dodong (international name-Talim) which did not landfall but still killed one person and affected 66,400 families or 200,000 individuals with its enhanced monsoon rains over the Ilocos provinces, Central Luzon, MIMAROPA and Metro Manila.

Super typhoon Egay (Doksuri) next made landfall in Fuga Island, Aparri Cagayan and Dalupiri Island last Wednesday and exited towards Fujian, China.

Forced evacuations of a total of 17,000 people in regions 1, 2, 3, Calbarzon, Mimaropa and Region 6 were implemented. Almst 650,000 families were affected or  2.3 million people. As to casualties, a total of 25 were reported dead, 52 injured and 20 were missing. NDDRMC reported 845 flooding incidents in the affected areas. Estimated damage to Agriculture was placed at P1.9-B.

Today, Typhoon Falcon (Khanun) is moving very far from mainland about 1,015 ENE of Extreme Northern Luzon but its heavy monsoon rains are flooding the mountainous Cordillera region, Cagayan Valley, Pangasinan, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, and Western Visayas. In the next five days, up to 50 up to 100 mm of heavy rainfall will affect these areas.

If one looks at data from Pagasa-DOST, the Agno and Pampanga River basins have risen particularly, and some tributaries are overflowing. Critical water levels were reported by Pagasa DOST in Candaba Swamp and Sulipan Station-Apalit. Alarm-Water-levels were tagged at Arayat-Mid Pampanga River and Rio Chico River in Zaragosa.  But persistent floods have overwhelmed large parts of Central Luzon from Zaragosa,N.E.,  San Simon, Macabebe, Masantol in Pampanga, and Calumpit, Hagonoy, and Paombong in Bulacan. In some areas, rescue operations continue.

We could only commiserate with the hundreds of thousands of families in Central and Northern Luzon now exposed to floodwaters.  Is it receding?  Difficult to answer because it will still depend on the heavy monsoon rains triggered by the now very far Typhoon Falcon.

Honestly, these storm trio of Dodong, Egay and Falcon reminds me of the deadly duo of Typhoon Pepang (Parma) and Tropical Storm Ondoy (Ketsana) that hit Metro Manila and neighboring Rizal province in September and early October in 2009.  These successive storms affected 9.3 million people, killed 958 people, injured 700 and 84 others missing.

Have we, Metro Manilans,  learned from the lessons of Ondoy for the past 14 years?

For the people of Central Luzon, historical accounts tell us of the big flood of 1972, or 51 years that lasted 40 days, just like Noah’s flood, when five successive typhoons hit the Philippines. Edeng, Gloring, Huaning, Isang, and Konsing. They killed more than 700 people with rains lasting for almost a month.

Then writer Robby Tantingco recounted that ‘the Pampanga River, Rio Chico and Agno River seemed to have disappeared in the flood. In some areas, the South China Sea appeared to have cut across central Luzon and joined with the Pacific Ocean, and it really looked possible to travel by boat from Manila Bay all the way to Lingayen Gulf–inland! If you were coming from Manila you’d have to stop at Balintawak, where boats that would take you to Northern Luzon waited on the shore. From there the great plain resembled a vast ocean.”

“Astronauts orbiting the earth at the time reported seeing the flood blanketing Luzon from Bulacan and Pampanga all the way to Tarlac, Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan, and from Batangas and Laguna to Rizal and Greater Manila (Metro-Manila today), and from Nueva Vizcaya to Cagayan. Only Ilocos and Bicol were not underwater.”

We just hope it wont happen again, ever. But clearly, these overflowing river basins are the perennial cross of the people of Central Luzon.  Perhaps, government thru the much ballyhooed Maharlika fund can establish monstrous water impounding facilities in  Central Luzon,  or even large storm drains in Metro Manila  like in Los Angeles to prevent street flash floods. We need to have a large network  or maybe thousands of catch basins. In Marikina, San Mateo, QC areas.

There is also a need to seriously resurrect the Paranaque Spillway project, that will draw out water from  the heavily silted Laguna Lake to Manila Bay. We do not need overnight fixes but long term solutions. And to our national government , please stop immediately those useless estero dredging operations that have made a lot of money for DPWH and MMDA flood control officials in cahoots with legislators.   No wonder COA has flagged down MMDA for 33 out of 47 unfinished foreign assisted flood projects worth P825M. “Red tape on procurement” was  the culprit, according to  MMDA Chair Don Artes. You can say all you want but please, Mr.Chair, tell it to the Marines.

Typhoons and Monsoon rains fill up our dams

But certainly, there is a bit of good news here. Metro Manila’s lone water resource, Angat Dam is now up by 16.95 meters and is now at normal operating capacity. Pagasa says with three or mor tropical cyclones, they can reach the target high water level of 212 meters, to achieve a stabe water supply for the upcoming months and EL NIÑO.  I was also informed that Angat Dam is not opening its flood gates to accumulate more water. Ipo Dam has opened one gate and La Mesa Dam is close to overflowing at 79.79 meters. I was told by PAG-ASA hydrologists that Maynilad which derives its water normally from Ipo Dam has been instructed to temporarily share the overflowing La Mesa Dam with Manila Water.

Again, Maharlika Fund should revive and expand previously closed water sources, the 1951 Lumot dam, the 1945 Caliraya and the Wawa Dam built in the 1900s for NCR but abandoned in 1950s. Quickly proceed the construction of Laiban Dam that draws water from the Kaliwa Watershed. This way, we can have drinking water all the time from our natural and abundant water resources.