OPINION
Drifting away
As my vehicle struggled through the waist-deep flood, I found myself stuck in traffic for two hours on Visayas Avenue in Quezon City with the water continuing to rise amid the heavy downpour.
I was one of the many Filipinos who wished they didn’t have to leave the house last Monday and instead let my daughter miss her class rather than endure the horrendous experience we went through.
As my vehicle struggled through the waist-deep flood, I found myself stuck in traffic for two hours on Visayas Avenue in Quezon City with the water continuing to rise amid the heavy downpour. I was already two hours late picking up my daughter from school and turning back was futile since it was a one-way street.
The mother in me urged me to take the risk, so I pressed on the gas pedal and drove forward as the vehicle navigated the high water. I felt as if I was going to get stuck but I refused to let up on the gas and nearly fainted when I sensed the vehicle was about to give out.
When I finally reached a dry stretch, I got stuck again at the Quezon Memorial Circle because Quezon Avenue and the other streets were flooded. I planned to take C.P. Garcia Avenue via UP because traffic was not moving on Katipunan Avenue.
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.