Flooding in Times of Rain in the Philippines

...

should be prioritized” (Anonymous, 2004). To implement the proper solid waste management and waste reduction, a law was enacted in 2001, this is the Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. This law requires that solid waste must be reduced at source, recyclable materials must be recovered and the remaining waste, after recyclable and biodegradable materials have been separated and used, is to be disposed of properly (Anonymous, 2004). If the Filipinos will truly abide by this law, surely the flooding will be lessen. Second, maintaining a greening the environment by planting trees and other wetland vegetation will help alleviate flood. The roots of the trees absorb water which strengthen the soil and reduces flooding. Therefore, we need to conserve and restore our forests and increase our wetland. “The forest’s high productivity and diversity stemmed partly from frequent flooding...”(Botkin & Keller, 2005). Filipinos should continually support the greening program of the Government stated in Executive Order No. 26, Series of 2011 – Declaring an Interdepartmental Convergence Initiative for a National Greening Program. “Planted trees sequester significant amount of atmospheric carbon into biomass which help in mitigating global warming and climate change” (Lagua, 2013). Conservation of wetland together with other flood control measures is many times more effective and costs less than a system of traditional dikes and levees and the restoration projects to increase the quantity of wetlands by more communities will be better protected against the consequences of flood (Anonymous, 2006). Third, improving the drainage systems by seeking the expert’s advice such as the engineers on its design and construct will ensure that water flows away quickly and smoothly and is disposed of in a surface watercourse or soakaway (Howard, 2002). Filipinos should participate in the maintenance of the drainage systems, this may be started in their own community. “Community participation requires an initiative to launch it, and management to organize it. In practice, communities can participate only through community institutions (i.e., residents’ associations and amenity groups, women’s organizations, political parties, etc.)” (Anonymous, 1991). With the support of the community institutions, proper maintenance and increase improvements for the drainage systems will be conducted to reduce the flooding.

Flooding in times of rain is a common problem in the Philippines. We know that the

government continuously find ways to solve the issues or concerns for this problem. But in this case, the government cannot alone achieve all different solutions; there is also a need for the support of the entire Filipino people. Filipinos should rise up and continually participate in all the initiatives of the government or any institution that has the desire to solve the flooding in the Philippines. If the government together with each Filipino unites and participates in the proper solid waste management, greening the environment by tree planting and proper maintenance of the drainage systems, which are all described as man-made solutions, we may expect great and positive outcome.