Dealing with the rain

Watching in horror at the almost knee-deep flood that was gushing over the roads along the North Reclamation Area, I gathered up all my courage and stepped on the gas pedal of my car. "Please, don't die," as if I could speak to the engine of the midnight blue sedan. I was scared; it was my first time to traverse a road that looked like the sea. Luckily, I survived. Thank God the rain stopped, or the waters would have risen more.

A picture like this has become the new normal these days. We adapt to a situation which should be addressed by a different body. Why? Because the bulk of the problem is because of our actions. At the end of every flood, we see debris and garbage strewn everywhere which came from the sewers. There is an overflow of our drainage system because of the small passageways that are blocked by garbage. Who is to blame then?

Cebu City is now coming up with a land use plan to reassess the whole terrain of the city. They will include all the recommendations of the lead agencies in terms of land such as the Mines and Geosciences Bureau. The plan will include the revamp of the drainage systems of the barangays as well as places which are to be condemned because they pose danger. There is also a plan to put up a cistern which will catch the rainwater from the mountain areas of the city.

If all of these will push through then we might have a flood-free city. However, this will be subject to thorough bidding, study and, of course, the construction stage. It is a long-term solution. At least, a solution is on the way. While it is not there yet, we can always do our part to avoid the flood. How? By being responsible with throwing our garbage.

Back in high school, our walls were filled with quotations and the one that I couldn't forget is an adage on trash. "In the absence of a trash can, your pocket will do." A very simple but striking saying. If we can all follow this rule, I guess there will be less garbage on the streets today. Street sweepers wouldn't have to bend and break their backs by cleaning the roads which they did not litter in the first place. Let's have a sense of community.  We can applaud Cebu City for their efforts and all the other cities in the metro, but we must also do our part.

As of this writing, it is raining outside and I am at home supposedly enjoying my last day of rest by roaming around the metropolitan before I go back to work. But rain happened. The streets might be flooded again. Well, I guess I'll just have to deal with the water above our roof. It's going to be a productive day inside the house, I guess. I wish all commuters can go home safe today.

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