Seawalls and School Classrooms

Seawalls are an important defense against storm surges. They prevent flooding and save lives. Walling off the entire Philippine coast is not feasible of course. However there are seawalls throughout the country. One of those seawalls was recently damaged in during a tropical storm. President Marcos has assured the wall's reconstruction will be expedited. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1237510

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Sunday said the government will expedite the reconstruction of the damaged seawall in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte to protect communities from storm surges and flooding.

Marcos made the announcement during the aid distribution of over PHP70 million in livelihood and financial assistance for thousands affected by Typhoon Marce at Pagudpud Cultural and Sports Complex.

Following his inspection of the damaged seawall, Marcos said the plans for its reconstruction were already in place and progressing swiftly.

"Good thing, that seawall is in process, it's already being built," he said.

 "It will be bid out in two weeks? Three weeks? The project is already up for bidding, so it will proceed quickly. We won't go through the process of finding funds, appropriating, and we're actually doing it, so we'll just continue with it," he said.

He said the construction of the elevated road near the seawall would also be prioritized to enhance the area's resilience.

"If you see, there is already a road -- there is something like a seawall but the new one has a road on top. And that's what we will continue with," he said.

Marcos also inspected classrooms of damaged by Marce and coordinated with the Department of Education to expedite repairs, ensuring students can return to school as soon as possible.

“We are looking for a way to fix it quickly so the kids can return [to schools]," he said, noting that alternative learning spaces were established to serve as temporary classrooms for the students.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that 9,340 individuals, or 2,903 families, were affected by Marce in Ilocos Norte. A total of 540 families or 1,635 individuals are in evacuation centers.

But how long will it take to rebuild? Years??

The seawall in Leyte has been under construction for 9 years and is only 64% complete.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1237375

After nine years of construction, the Leyte tide embankment project designed to shield coastal communities from big waves is 64 percent complete, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported on Friday.

DPWH 8 (Eastern Visayas) Director Edgar Tabacon admitted that building the 38.12-km. storm surge protection from this city to Tanauan town continues to be a challenge 11 years after Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) struck the region.

“Since the start of construction in 2016, we have been addressing several issues. We are a democratic country and we cannot ignore oppositions but we will try our best to complete this project within the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” Tabacon said in a phone interview.

The project completion date depends on the available funds downloaded by the central government, he said.

Of the estimated PHP12.17 billion required budget, PHP9 billion has been released from 2016 until this year for the 19-km. flood mitigation structure and a 5.43-km. backwater dike.

As of the end of October, the DPWH reported completing 19.51 km. of the 38.64 km. of structures, while construction of 5.52 km. is ongoing and work has yet to begin for 13.6 km.

The project covers the construction of 22.63 km. of flood mitigation structure and 16 km. of backwater dike structure.

The flood mitigation structure aims to protect communities in this city and the nearby towns of Palo and Tanauan from destructive waves. It has stainless steel flap gates and river gates with actuators.

It also has a bike lane with railings, ramps, and streetlights.

“From San Juanico Bridge to downtown, the embankment will also be a parallel highway to address traffic congestion from the city to the Samar area. We still have to coordinate with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for environmental consideration and hold a series of public consultations,” Tabacon added.

The project stretches from Diit village here to Cabuynan village in Tanauan town, aiming to protect 33,000 residents from big waves based on a 50-year projected population.

Sections 1 to 3 are in the northern part of this city to downtown areas, Section 4 is from the San Jose district in this city to the Palo town boundary, Section 5 is in areas of Palo and Tanauan, and Section 6 is in Tanauan town.

In most sections, the four-meter-wide structure has a bay walk and bicycle lane.

The project, built 30 meters from the shoreline, will protect 33.7 square meters of properties and 33,185 houses and buildings.

Building the four-meter-high structure came after the 2013 storm surges whipped by Yolanda’s fierce winds wiped out neighborhoods in Leyte province.

This story is ridiculous. Everyone still talks about the horrors of Super typhoon Yolanda which caused much devastation. This wall was implemented to prevent such destruction from happening again yet after 9 years it is only 64% complete. It requires 12 billion pesos but only 9 billion has been released. Why isn't there a fund dedicated to constructing this wall?

9 years with only 64% constructed means it will take another 5 to 6 years to finish. Meanwhile tropical storms come and go and the citizens of Leyte are at the mercy of the national budget. Why hasn't the project been completed sooner? Perhaps the government doesn't care as much as they claim.

Even worse than the story of this seawall is students in Leyte are still suffering the consequences of Yolanda. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/11/11/leyte-school-still-using-temporary-learning-spaces

Eleven years after Typhoon "Yolanda" ravaged the Philippines, a school in Leyte continues to rely on temporary learning spaces, highlighting the disaster's long-term impact on the region’s educational infrastructure.

On Monday, Nov. 11, the Department of Education (DepEd), led by Secretary Sonny Angara, visited schools in Leyte to assess the implementation of digitalization programs and identify gaps in facilities.

DepEd visited St. Francis Elementary School, which was severely affected by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

Despite various recovery initiatives, some schools continue to face significant challenges in rebuilding, leaving students and educators to make do with makeshift classrooms.

"The school is currently experiencing gaps in facilities and classrooms, as it is housing 547 learners in Temporary Learning Spaces," DepEd said.

Angara, along with the agency’s Executive and Management Committee members, monitored schools in Leyte as part of DepEd’s ongoing efforts to address challenges on the ground.

11 years later and some schools are still using makeshift classrooms. That is absolutely shameful. What is really going on in Leyte? Where are the funds to rebuild? It is mind boggling that after 11 years Leyte has yet to recover from Yolanda.

The Davao Landslide Was "A Tragedy Waiting to Happen"

Filipinos are routinely lauded by government officials for being resilient in the face of disaster. But the fact is many of those disasters, be they fires, typhoons, floods, or landslides, are either directly caused or exacerbated by the same corrupt government officials applauding Filipinos for being resilient.  

Case in point is the recent landslide in Davao which, so far, has killed 92 people. This disaster would NEVER have happened if corrupt government officials had not ignored warnings to not build in the area.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/a-tragedy-waiting-to-happen

However, these stories of the survivors would have not been here should the concerned government agencies, officials, and even the residents have followed the advisory of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in the Davao Region (MGB-Davao).

During the Budyong Online held on February 10, MGB-Davao revealed that Barangay Masara has been assessed to be a "No Build Zone" since 2008. 

The bureau's Geosciences Division Chief, Beverly Mae M. Brebante revealed that as early as 2008, Barangay Masara was already identified as a critical area.

"In 2008, we all know that there was this kind of deluge of earth, and it covered part of the barangay Masara, the original Barangay Masara before, that is why it was already recommended to be a "No Build Zone," Brebante said.

Brebante said that Barangay Masara's land is mostly made of up volcaniclastics, or in the word of the official, "this was previously rocks that after volcanic eruptions it became easily withered and eroded."

Volcaniclastics, according to Collins Dictionary, is composed mainly of "fragments of volcanic origin, as agglomerate, tuff, and certain other rocks."

Despite a "No Build Zone", Masara is not only home to many residents, but also to barangay halls, schools, and even small- and large-scale mining companies.

In fact, the operation of one of the largest mining companies in the country is located in Masara.

"As early as January, we have already experiencing the impacts of our shear line, that was on January 15 to 19, around that week, then it was followed by the trough of LPA on the later part of January, during this time the whole region experienced continuous rainfall and naturally our land here in the region, especially in Davao de Oro, particularly in Masara...too wet and saturated ... and of course if that is already the condition of our soil then it would easily give in," the bureau's official said.

The bureau's Geosciences Division Chief also revealed that after the 2008 landslide, they always go back to the area and give updates about the situation to the concerned government offices.

"We always find the area to be progressing, meaning there is active falling of soil in the area where the landslide exactly occurred," Brebante said.

She also said the bureau had provided listings of barangays down to the puroks which are identified as as areas highly to very highly vulnerable to landslide and even to flooding.

"And in fact, Masara was already part of that list even prior to the landslide, mga January namin na advisory... We haven't prepared much so that's why this is the impact of what happened," she said.

Since 2008, for 26 years, government officials have been aware that this area is a "No Build Zone." But instead of NOT BUILDING they allowed residents and businesses and even schools to move into this very dangerous are.  

The current Governor has passed the blamed to past administrations excusing their negligence by saying they had nowhere to relocate the people so "they had to give the semblance of normalcy to the lives of our community." Normalcy apparently meaning continuing to live and build in a dangerous area designated as a "No Build Zone."

Meanwhile, Gov. Gonzaga said she cannot answer as to what had happened before her administration, since she was only seated as governor in 2022.

"First and foremost, these structures and the fact that there are still residents, I could not comment because I was just governor in 2022, so all these structures and the people were already there," the governor said.

"I could only say for the past administrations that since they haven't been able to relocate the people, of course they had to give the semblance of normalcy to the lives of our community, so they did. There is also a school there, there is also a barangay hall, because the communities haven't been moved yet, why don't they have schools," she said.

She also emphasized that the MGB has not yet given a "definite recommendation" on where the residents in critical areas in Maco be relocated.

Brebante revealed that a team from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau has already conducted an assessment for possible relocation sites.

"Kasi nga gusto natin na it's already declared as a "No Build Zone" (Because we want the area to be really a "No Build Zone)," she said.

But as to the areas ideal for relocation sites for vulnerable places in Maco, the bureau has yet to provide the results of its assessment.

Meanwhile, Gov. Gonzaga reiterated that ever since she started to sit as the governor, it has been her priority to find an ideal place for relocation sites that is recommended by the MGB itself.

The "No Build Zone" classified by the MGB does not only cover the residents but all the businesses inside the critical areas as well.

"It is regardless of establishments, may it be residential, industrial, or commercial, when we say zone, ito po yung area," Brebante said.

But in the meantime, will people, businesses, and activities inside Masara continue?

After 26 years are we really to believe that local officials could not find a suitable relocation area for these residents? At the very minimum they could have prevented the building of any new residences and businesses but that did not happen. 

Instead 92 people, as of this writing, are dead and 63 people are missing all because of corrupt and inept government officials. But who cares because of all the miraculous survivals and rescues? After all the downtrodden Filipinos who get stomped on by the people elected to serve them are resilient in the face of disaster. 

Flooding

Heavy rains flooded the area last week. Where did it all come from? I guess the city's efforts at digging tup the roads and installing new pipes were ineffective.

This area here I saw water literally bubbling up from the ground! So you got rain coming down and an overflowing severe system pouring up and out into the road making an already messy situation even more messier and precarious.

Oh then we came upon this:

Where did all this water come from? We did not risk the plunge like several cars did. We had to backtrack through town.

The rainy season comes every single year and it seems as if the nation is never prepared. The massive flooding and resulting destruction could all be prevented if proper precautions were taken.

So what's the problem? Why isn't the Philippines prepared? Why do cities flood and people die every single year?