A resolution requesting the City Planning and Development Office to study the flooding in Metro Manila and to come up with an appropriate flood control plan for Bacolod City was proposed by Bacolod Councilor El Cid Familiaran.

The resolution said the city should seriously consider as a warning and lesson what happened recently in Metro Manila by proactively observing the latest and appropriate urban planning and management.

Familiaran cited Jose Ma. Tan, Chief Executive Officer of the Worldwide Fund for Nature, who said that “Filipinos are to be blamed for the deluge of rain that paralyzed 14 million people.”

Tan reportedly said this clearly shows that rapid urbanization is a culprit for the Urban Heat Island (UHI), “a situation of unfettered and mindless march to urbanization that had replaced soils and trees which absorb rains and reduce flooding with concrete jungles.”

Familiaran said that, based on these findings, the city should prepare and plan to prevent this kind of calamity but there is a need for the city and its sub-altern offices to take note of the effects of flooding in Metro Manila, that may also happen in the city and its populace if it will not take action.*CGS

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