Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Last week, days of rain triggered a landslide along the Nangka River in Marikina, that left families without homes.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said there may be two to four tropical cyclones this September. The next one already has a name: “Jenny” (the 10th to hit the country this year).
If it’s a strong one, damage to life and property can run into millions of pesos. The first to give in will be structures of substandard engineering and materials built dangerously close to a river.
By law, construction should be at least 10 meters away from the bank of a river to avoid grave soil erosion and flooding.
Architect Jun Palafox said that too many decision makers in the past, and unfortunately even the present, have allowed people to build substandard homes that lack proper engineering and soil assessment.
He pointed out that land erosion is caused by the lack of green space to absorb excess water from the mountains. Palafox said that the problem can be addressed, but it requires strong political will.
“Unfortunately government hasn’t been very strict in protecting our open spaces, including our forests.”
“So we can’t stop anymore rainwaters from the mountain going down to flood the lower portions of the city… when there are structures there erosion is inevitable, he added.”
“The ones deciding in the built environment in our country are not the urban planners, not the architects, not the engineers, it’s the politicians with their favored consultants.
“So it all boils down to corruption in the building industry, corruption in the obtaining of permits, and maybe lack of competence of some people in government approving permits.”
The city government of Marikina argued that there are laws being followed like the banning of settlements less then 95 feet from the center of the Marikina river.
For the Nangka river, the landslide last week was a first — and there were lessons learned.
The local government is now increasingly aware of the need to demolish structures along danger zones near the river, relocate the people to safer areas, and provide more green space.
“The DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways]… will build a dike along Nangka River in Marikina side, and there is a law wherein three meters from the edge of the river bank, there must be no houses to be built,” said Marikina Vice Mayor Jose Cadiz.
“So we will follow the national law and several hundreds of families are planned to be relocated.”
“[S]econdly we devoted 10 percent of the land areas of Marikina to parks and trees. And of course, in the Marikina watershed area, we adapted 200 hectares — an area outside the city. We are widening the river and dredging it so that floods will be minimized.”
Cadiz said that the city is spending billions of pesos on disaster preparedness, and added that urban planning is a priority.
