THREATS of more floods and landslides continue to haunt Luzon as the southwest monsoon enhanced by Tropical Cyclone Enteng which has left the Philippine Area of Responsibility, is still expected to bring heavy to intense rains until Friday, the weather bureau reported.
In its Weather Advisory issued at 11 a.m. on Thursday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said 100 to 200 mm of rain is expected over Pangasinan, Zambales, and Bataan, while moderate to heavy rains (50-100 mm) over Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Benguet, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, and Batangas.
On Friday, Pagasa said moderate to heavy rains or 50-100 mm will fall over Pangasinan, Zambales, and Bataan.
“Under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides remain likely, especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in hazard maps and areas with significant antecedent rainfall. The public and disaster risk reduction and management offices concerned are advised to take all necessary measures to protect life and property.”
Quarrying blamed
MANY areas in Luzon, including Metro Manila and Rizal province experienced severe flooding during the onslaught of Tropical Storm Enteng owing to the massive degradation of the Marikina Watershed.
Environmental group Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan-PNE) blamed the massive quarrying and watershed degradation and condemned the Duterte and Marcos administrations “for prioritizing the profits of mining corporations over people’s lives and livelihoods” for allowing the quarrying operations to continue.
“The Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment condemns in the strongest terms the reckless quarrying and land conversion that have exacerbated flooding and landslides in Rizal province in the wake of Typhoon Enteng. This disaster is a direct result of the government’s failure to protect critical watersheds and prioritize people’s safety over corporate profits,” the group said in a statement.
According to th group, Rizal province, with its mountainous terrain, forms a crucial part of the Upper Marikina Watershed.
“This 26,125-hectare protected area acts as a natural flood control system for Metro Manila and surrounding regions. However, decades of quarrying, deforestation, and uncontrolled development have severely degraded this vital ecosystem,” the group said.
Kalikasan PNE claimed that only 20 percent of the forest cover of the UMW remained in 2015.
“The denuded forest reduced water absorption capacity, leading to more rapid and intense flooding downstream,” the group said.
“Typhoon Enteng dumped at least 230 mm of rainfall in just 18 hours, overwhelming the watershed’s already compromised capacity. In the past decade alone, over 10,000 hectares of forest cover in Rizal have been lost to quarrying and land conversion,” the group added.The group said the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and local government units of Rizal bear direct responsibility for this tragedy.
“They have recklessly granted permits for 19 large-scale quarrying projects covering 3,623 hectares in Rizal, with nearly half concentrated in landslide-prone Antipolo City. Twelve of these destructive projects have been operating since the 1990s, with ten renewed under the Duterte administration and two under Marcos,” the group claimed.
Additionally, of the eleven mining companies that were suspended in the aftermath of Typhoon Ulysses in 2020, at least eight are now operational. These are Rapid City Realty and Development Corporation and Hardrock Aggregates in Antipolo, and six in Rodriguez: San Rafael Development Corporation, Montalban Milex Aggregates Corporation, Rodrock and Aggregates Corporation (formerly Oxford Mines), Viba Aggregates & Marketing, ATN Holdings, and Amiterra Aggregates Corp. This has underscored that temporary suspensions in the aftermath of typhoons do little to mitigate the human and environmental impacts of these destructive projects.
“The human cost of this government-sanctioned destruction is staggering. Over 300,000 people have been affected by flooding and landslides. Eight of the at least 15 confirmed deaths are from the province of Rizal. Thousands remain in evacuation centers, their homes and livelihoods destroyed.”
Image credits: Nonie Reyes
