After navigating through Quezon Memorial Circle and Commonwealth for an hour, followed by another hour at UP, I finally arrived at Miriam College on Katipunan Avenue. What typically took only 30 minutes had turned into a grueling four-hour journey, leaving me with numb legs, back pain, and a throbbing head.
My daughter looked more frantic and exhausted than I did because she worried I wouldn’t make it to school. The drive home took another hour and it was almost night when we arrived. What usually takes an hour for a round trip ended up taking more than five hours.
But I have no right to complain, right? Others endured and lost far more because of the ongoing flooding. Streets have turned into rivers, homes have been destroyed, and lives have been disrupted. As we wade through the aftermath, we can’t help but curse those responsible for the longstanding flood control projects scandal.
We are drifting away from what should have been good, bearing the burden of greed and negligence.
The government had promised better infrastructure to protect us from the forces of nature. Substantial budgets had been poured into flood control projects, but they ended up in the pockets of greedy politicians and contractors.
Floods are both the result of natural phenomena and systemic government failures. If we are to find answers to the rising waters, we must first question the government and hold it accountable for its negligence.
The scenes of waterlogged streets and displaced families should not just provoke curses and invoke sympathy. They should provoke outrage and accountability from those who have abandoned us.
Like many of you, I feel a deep sense of anger, but all I can do is pick up the pieces and brace myself for more rainy days and floods.
