rapid assessment of the social impacts of - Philippines Development ...

Thus, there was an overflow of assistance in areas where the communities were organized and
accessible and had close relations with the LGUs and civil society. Those that were difficult to
access and less organized remained mostly unreached, and unorganized (e.g., Southville 4 in
Sta. Rosa City [a government resettlement site with governance issues], Malaban in Biñan,
Laguna). Tensions among neighboring communities which were similarly flooded but whose
needs were addressed with varying degrees of efficiency were, therefore, observed.
Points specific to the control site. Some of the same economic issues faced in the affected
communities were also identified in the control site in Marikina Heights. This finding
demonstrates the nature of urban poverty, so whether or not they have been directly affected
by Ondoy, urban poor communities face some of the same challenges. Thus, while employing a
control site allowed some form of comparison between communities not directly affected by
Ondoy and those affected by it, there are limits to the research design’s power of inference. One
cannot neatly categorize life in these communities into “before Ondoy” and “after Ondoy.” For
the individuals and families in these communities, Ondoy was one in a series of social and
economic “emergencies” that they regularly encounter and which aggravated an already
difficult situation.
Insights and Recommendations from Communities
Many residents attributed the flooding to several factors, including the release of water from
dams, poor garbage management, inadequate drainage systems, and the continued cutting of
trees and reclaiming of land to make way for subdivisions. In KV1, quarrying was also
mentioned alongside illegal logging and tree cutting to give way to the construction of
subdivisions and factories. These have also resulted in the narrowing of the river. The same set
of reasons was given in other study sites, whether formal or informal settlements. In SV4,
residents referred to the fact that the low-lying area they occupy used to be a rice field.
However it is now fully cemented which makes it difficult for water to be absorbed. Added to
these are poor garbage disposal practices and lack of proper drainage facilities.
Measures for disaster prevention and preparedness. Residents in the control and affected
sites gave similar proposals to avert another flooding event. Most of these relate to working
with nature and protecting the environment, increasing community awareness of disaster
preparedness and prevention, and improving local capacities to respond to the disaster. To
achieve this, the residents believe there must be active and sustained collaboration between
LGUs, government agencies, civil society and community groups, and residents (Table 8). These
are addressed to government, civil society groups, and to the communities themselves. 13
Residents of WFM and Malaban (both informal settlements), SV4 (formal settlement) and
Marikina Heights (the control site) believe it is important to address issues related to
infrastructure. For WFM residents, flooding continues because the Manggahan Floodway and
Laguna de Bay have become shallower due largely to the deforestation of surrounding
mountains. Thus, they suggested dredging the floodway and Laguna de Bay so that these could
hold more water. They also suggested opening up the Napindan Dike to allow water to drain
into Manila Bay. Another proposal put forward was the construction of dikes along the
Manggahan Floodway and stopping the construction of the Laiban Dam. Participants in the
discussion see the latter as destructive to the environment and a potential cause of future
flooding in Quezon and Rizal Provinces. Dredging was similarly recommended (in the case of
Laguna de Bay) by residents of Malaban and Marikina Heights, where the only area that
experienced flooding during Ondoy was a small portion near the creek.
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