Paralyzed

MANILA, Philippines - After just an hour of heavy rain last Tuesday night, Metro Manila was again paralyzed.

Floods left many roads impassable, with thousands of commuters and motorists on their way home still on the road early yesterday.

Traffic authorities led by the police Highway Patrol Group (HPG) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) were no match for the sheer number of vehicles and stranded commuters.

Near midnight, vehicles had barely moved on the southbound lane of EDSA while a sea of commuters waited for the few buses and taxis on the highway’s northbound lane.

Along EDSA, the buses were full to bursting, with some passengers hanging on from the open doors.

Liezl Alavaren said she had to walk from the corner of EDSA-Ayala Avenue to Gil Puyat Avenue just to board an overcrowded bus to get home to Las Piñas.

Alavaren said it took her three hours to reach home.

Journalist Joel Zurbano said he had to wade through floodwaters up to his thighs along Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City just to board one of the few buses on his way home to Laguna.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ricardo Marquez was himself caught in a traffic jam along EDSA.

Marquez had conducted an inspection on the traffic situation at EDSA-Balintawak in the effort to boost the morale of HPG troops handling traffic management in the area.

After the inspection in Balintawak, Marquez proceeded to Cubao, the second of six chokepoints along EDSA.

Due to vehicle buildup, Marquez arrived in Cubao at 7:40 p.m., some 45 minutes after he left Balintawak.

Marquez observed the traffic in the areas of Balintawak and Pasay Rotonda have so far improved, but the stretch of Kamuning to Santolan flyover remains a problem.

HPG director Chief Supt. Arnold Gunnacao, on the other hand, said the MMDA had not extended any support to improve the flow of traffic the other night.

Gunnacao said the MMDA should have guided motorists to look for alternative routes since they are familiar with the areas that are flood prone.

“It was only Tuesday night that we came to know the flood-prone areas. And now we are planning and we are now formulating our plans insofar as the alternate routes, if there will be floods in areas like Magallanes, Guadalupe, Buendia and in front of Camp Aguinaldo, so we will know where to lead our motorists,” Gunnacao said.

Gunnacao denied allegations the HPG troopers were absent during the heavy downpour. He pointed out the HPG troops were in EDSA wearing raincoats, boots and riding motorcycles, managing the traffic flow amid heavy rain.

Gunnacao lamented there was no assistance extended to the HPG since Monday despite the agreement with the MMDA.

He said the HPG was forced to seek reinforcements from the local police in the problematic areas.

Crisanto Saruca, head of the MMDA’s Traffic Discipline Office (TDO), however said there were 75 MMDA traffic enforcers on duty at EDSA on Tuesday night.

“The enforcers were there. But because of the dark ponchos they were wearing, it was hard to spot them,” he said.

Saruca, however, could not say if the MMDA had deployed vehicles to give the stranded public free rides. Worse, the Metro Rail Transit 3 from Pasay Taft Station plying EDSA conked out late in the evening, forcing commuters to spill into the sidewalks and streets.

Saruca said he himself was stranded on EDSA and had to take alternate routes just to get home to Quezon City after inspecting the MMDA’s bus terminal in Pasay.

According to Saruca, it took him three hours to get home. He said he got stuck in a traffic jam in Macapagal Avenue up to Katipunan in Quezon City.

Saruca said even alternate routes were flooded. He blamed the heavy rains that began at 6 p.m. for the monstrous traffic jams.

Saruca said the MMDA deployed a composite team from its flood control and street clearing units to the flooded areas.

Saruca said the floodwater was slow to subside despite the efforts of the MMDA team equipped with submersible pumps.

The MMDA identified 16 areas in Metro Manila that were flooded on Tuesday night. Four areas were in Quezon City: C5 from Calle Industria to Greenmeadows northbound – 8 inches; EDSA-Santolan northbound service road – 19 inches; EDSA-P. Tuazon underpass – 10 inches; Commonwealth Avenue-Feria Road – 26 inches; Commonwealth Avenue-Regalado Avenue intersection – 13 inches; Maria Clara-Araneta Avenue – 13 inches.

In Mandaluyong City: EDSA-Shaw Central service road – 8 inches; Maysilo Circle – 32 inches.

Four areas in Pasay City were flooded, including MIA Road corner Domestic Avenue southbound – 8 inches; Merville west service road – 19 inches; EDSA-Taft Avenue – 8 inches; MIA Road-Park and Fly – 15 inches.

In Makati City, Osmeña Highway-Gil Puyat Avenue intersection – 19 inches; Magallanes Tunnel – 19 inches; Pasay Road – 37 inches); and one in Manila: Rizal Avenue corner R. Papa St. at 32 inches.

The flooding started at about 6:45 p.m. and started to subside by 7:42 p.m. Floodwater at the Osmeña-Gil Puyat intersection subsided by 3 a.m., while flooding at Maysilo Circle started subsiding by 6 a.m., the MMDA said.

Saruca said MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino has ordered the prepositioning of equipment and personnel at the identified flood-prone areas to prevent a repeat of what happened on Tuesday night.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said heavy rains from thunderstorms would continue until Thursday.

The state weather bureau explained it would be hard to predict where a thunderstorm, like what happened Tuesday night, will hit.

“Unlike other weather systems, like cyclones and southwest monsoon, thunderstorms only have one hour lead time,” according to Rene Paciente of PAGASA.

He clarified PAGASA’s color-coded rainfall warning is not used to alert the public of thunderstorm occurrence. – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Helen Flores