Where is the outrage? This is the Philippines in the eyes of many, struggling through floods, if not traffic. In the capital city, motor vehicles and stranded passengers wade through flooded streets after some rains on Friday, 22 August. With characteristic humor, Filipinos manage to laugh at discomforts as shown in these photos, even as revelations continue to be made on anomalous flood control projects by the Department of Public Works and Highways, its contractors, with alleged imprimatur from some local and national leaders. Photographs by Toto Lozano and John Carlo Magallon for DAILY TRIBUNE
HEADLINES

Amid pork row, capital under water anew

PAGASA said ‘Isang’ was packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center, and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

Alvin Murcia
Where is the outrage? This is the Philippines in the eyes of many, struggling through floods, if not traffic. In the capital city, motor vehicles and stranded passengers wade through flooded streets after some rains on Friday, 22 August. With characteristic humor, Filipinos manage to laugh at discomforts as shown in these photos, even as revelations continue to be made on anomalous flood control projects by the Department of Public Works and Highways, its contractors, with alleged imprimatur from some local and national leaders.

As if it was a divine reminder, Metro Manila was submerged in floods yesterday, with the backdrop of the worsening scandal on hundreds of billions of pesos worth of wasted flood control projects manipulated for pork barrel funds.

Areas that were inundated were Dr. A. Santos Avenue corner Canaynay Avenue in Parañaque City; the EDSA Shaw Tunnel northbound in Mandaluyong City; and Andrews Avenue–Tramo westbound in Pasay City.

Where is the outrage? This is the Philippines in the eyes of many, struggling through floods, if not traffic. In the capital city, motor vehicles and stranded passengers wade through flooded streets after some rains on Friday, 22 August. With characteristic humor, Filipinos manage to laugh at discomforts as shown in these photos, even as revelations continue to be made on anomalous flood control projects by the Department of Public Works and Highways, its contractors, with alleged imprimatur from some local and national leaders.

Signal No. 1 remained hoisted over Northern Luzon at press time as Tropical Depression “Isang” crossed Quirino province, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in a 5 p.m. bulletin.

Where is the outrage? This is the Philippines in the eyes of many, struggling through floods, if not traffic. In the capital city, motor vehicles and stranded passengers wade through flooded streets after some rains on Friday, 22 August. With characteristic humor, Filipinos manage to laugh at discomforts as shown in these photos, even as revelations continue to be made on anomalous flood control projects by the Department of Public Works and Highways, its contractors, with alleged imprimatur from some local and national leaders.

Strong winds will continue to prevail in the affected areas while the enhanced southwest monsoon will continue to bring strong to gale-force gusts across Zambales, Bataan, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Burias Island, Western Visayas, Negros Island Region, Central Visayas, Dinagat Islands, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte, and Camiguin, and Metro Manila.

Rough seas prevailed in the seaboards of Batanes and Cagayan.

The weather bureau said Isang is forecast to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility today.

Free train rides

Following an order from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., rides on the Metro Rail Transit 3 and both lines of the Light Rail Transit were free on Friday starting at noon, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said.

This followed the suspension of classes in several areas due to the severe weather that resulted in heavy rainfall and widespread flooding across Metro Manila.

The DoTr encouraged the public, particularly students and workers who may have been stranded, to take advantage of the free train rides.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) was under blue alert over Isang.

The raising of the alert status by the NDRRMC Operations Center went into effect at noon.

This was “to closely monitor, consolidate, and to ensure prompt coordination with the agencies and offices concerned,” it added.

A blue alert is raised “primarily in preparation for a slow onset disaster or in anticipation of situation escalation, requiring selected duty personnel,” the NDRRMC said.

Primary or lead personnel were from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), complemented by detailed duty officers (DDO) tasked to render duty at the NDRRMOC.

DDOs are usually uniformed personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine National Police.

The group is augmented by technical staff of the Department of Science and Technology, Department of the Interior and Local Government and Department of Health, among others.

PAGASA said “Isang” was packing maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center, and gustiness of up to 90 kph.