IMAGES: The flood that wouldn’t go away

Though many places around the Philippines deal with flooding on a regular basis, in most cases, floods are a come-and-go phenomenon. But in some places, the floods linger for weeks or even months at a time. For residents of these waterworlds, water has become a feature of their everyday environment, a reality to which they have learned to adapt. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that after the monsoon rains last August 7, over 800,000 residents in Metro Manila and Northern and Central Luzon were affected by the floods—including residents of Masantol town in Pampanga. When the GMA News TV documentary program "Investigative Documentaries" visited Masantol last August, the town had already been submerged for several weeks, and authorities said it could be several more months before the waters subside. Yet this was nothing new to Masantol, which gets heavily flooded every year.  Engineer Jaime Ducut, head of the Municipal Planning Office of Masantol, explained: “Iyung Masantol kasi ang pinaka-lower elevation ng Pampanga at tsaka ang bagsak ng tubig ng mga upper sections, dito lahat ang daan [sa Masantol].” The local government of Pampanga has tried to implement long-term projects, like the dredging of the Pampanga river and the repair of the Pampanga delta dike, to prevent the annual floods in the province, but these were never completed. Meanwhile, the residents of Masantol have learned to cope with their situation, preferring to stay put rather than leave behind their homes, jobs, and communities. Here are some images from the community taken from "Investigative Documentaries'" recent visit to the area: Since the monsoon, classes have been suspended for over a month at Masantol Elementary School. Noel Macapagal, the school principal, admits that their students’ lessons are disrupted by the frequent suspension of classes.  The entire school is submerged in flood. Camille, a grade six student at Masantol Elementary School, is currently reviewing for a science quiz bee. Determined to perform well, she makes the effort to report to class despite the flood. “Masasabi ko po na kahit po ganito na mahirap po, suungin iyung baha para lang po makapunta dito, gagawin ko po para po makapag-aral po,” says Camille. Because of the flood, transportation also becomes a problem. The only way to go around the town is by boat. Those who are forced to wade risk contracting an infection from the filthy water. Romeo Macalino, a resident of Masantol, says, “Kasi nga lagi kami sa tubig, naghahanapbuhay kahit konting pangkabuhayan. Kung hindi ka magtitiyaga, kahit mahapdi ang alipunga, di ka makakaraos. Walang tigil kaya nagtitiis na lang.” To get by, some residents even try catching fish from the dirty flood water. The fish come from nearby fish ponds that overflowed because of the heavy rains. The lack of proper sewage system is also a problem that the local government of Masantol must address. “Isa pong malaking problema iyan e, iyung pagbabawas ng ating mga kasamahan dito sa Masantol. The river, the sapa...very convenient sa ‘balot’ system,” explains Dr. Abelardo Algarne, the municipal health officer of Masantol. Without access to toilet facilities, many residents of Masantol wrap their waste in plastic bags and throw these into the water. To deal with the problem, the local government has issued health bulletins urging residents to practice proper sanitation. Yet the advice often goes unheeded. While there is an abundance of dirty flood water in Masantol, ironically, there is also a shortage of clean, potable water. As a solution, the Masantol Water District has worked with the Local Water Utilities Administration to supply water to Masantol’s residents using mobile filtration equipment. Mayor Pete Flores of Masantol admits that their funds for disaster response are really limited. “Ay, kulang na kulang po, inaamin ko po. Dalawampu’t anim na barangay...isipin niyo...wala pa itong bagyo. E, kung may bagyo na, kailangan po talaga namin ng mga tulong ng mga agency.” —PF/GMA News