Tent wars

Floods caused by the enhanced southwest monsoon or habagat unleashed a sort of tent war among several local governments in Metro Manila.

The competition was triggered by pictures netizens uploaded in the net praising Marikina for providing modular tents to evacuees who sought refuge away from floods.

The modular tent not only provided a certain degree of privacy for the family of evacuees but the Department of Health said it will also help prevent the spread of contagious diseases. Many netizens wondered why other local government units can’t do the same for their own evacuees.

Soon, pictures of similar tents in evacuation centers in Makati also circulated in the web.

On Monday, the Quezon City government shared photos of the “pop huts” set up at a covered court in Barangay Silangan for the evacuees. The huts are made of sturdy plastic with aluminum frames, with roofs and windows. It even boasts of a solar panel to provide power for a small light.

In defense of Manila, a disaster management official claimed the government actually built a proper evacuation building for their residents, not just tents.

However, reports said the Manila government initiated the process for the purchase of tents for disaster use, although delivery is expected either late this year or early next year.

As the tent war heats up, a netizen said there is only one way a local government in the metropolis can vindicate its claim of truly caring for the welfare of its residents: either put up or shut up.