Another day of flood, traffic

Government renews appeal for patience

MANILA, Philippines - Oh no, not again.

It was a repeat of last Tuesday’s chaos, this time affecting the northern and western parts of Metro Manila, with motorists and commuters left stranded in streets flooded by heavy rains during the afternoon rush hour yesterday.

In Caloocan City, drenched commuters lined Rizal Avenue extension from R. Papa all the way to Monumento, waiting for a ride home.

With few rides available, many commuters waded in floodwaters in Monumento leading to EDSA and MacArthur Highway going to Valenzuela City and Bulacan.

In Quezon City, motorists were caught in a massive traffic gridlock as commuters occupied EDSA in front of SM North and Trinoma, hoping to get a ride.

Apart from EDSA, officials said traffic was also heavy along Quezon Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue, Aurora Boulevard, Katipunan Avenue, E. Rodriguez Boulevard, C5 and Quirino Highway. 

Some stranded passengers chose to walk home, while others patiently waited. 

An irate employee said the government would issue an apology again for what happened yesterday, but  the people were tired of hearing apologies from the government and wanted action as traffic was getting worse.

Amid the public uproar and frustration over traffic, the government remains confident that it will overcome, according to Budget Secretary Florencio Abad.

Abad said President Aquino has been in charge and had put in place key Cabinet officials to solve the traffic situation.

The President spoke before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Finance Ministers’ Meeting in Cebu with Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Abad, Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras and other officials in attendance.

Almendras, who was designated to coordinate all government efforts to address the traffic woes, said the President held a meeting with them in Cebu but did not elaborate.

Abad acknowledged the traffic problem and sought patience and cooperation, expressing belief that the people would understand the situation and “a lot of efforts are being done right now to address” such woes.

Abad described the traffic nightmare in Metro Manila as a complex problem.

“Negligence in the past and... we are growing faster than we can cope. We are repairing roads that have caused some narrowing of pathways. So the government has put this really as a high priority in concerns that it is addressing right now,” he said. 

Abad explained they would not be able to solve this in the short term because the response needed is a long-term solution. 

“But in the meantime, we are looking at (various) ways by which we can mitigate the problem,” he said.

Asked if the traffic situation would be an election issue and cause political backlash against the administration’s standard-bearer, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Abad conceded the opposition would raise the matter.

“But I think the government and the administration will be able to present an explanation, acknowledging the problem at the same time presenting measures by which we can mitigate it in the short term and address it in the long term,” he said.

Abad does not think the traffic problem will be a huge factor against Roxas.

He stressed there are several factors that should be considered.

“You go to every growing metropolis in any capital of the world and they are confronted with – especially in emerging markets – these problems... You have more container vans out there bringing in raw materials... In 2010, we were not selling more than 100,000 vehicles a year. This year, we may just hit 300,000 because we have hit 151,000 end of June,” Abad said.

“I mean people will understand why there is such congestion happening, but of course we cannot simply say that is enough. So I think with urgency, the government is doing its best to try to mitigate that problem and find solutions in the very short term,” he said.

All the administration needs to explain is where this problem is coming from, Abad stressed, and that the government was trying to make it easier for the public to deal with this problem.

Asked about Vice President Jejomar Binay’s comment that this was a crisis situation, Abad replied the opposition would “see crisis in everything that government does.”

“So, maybe that’s their perspective. But... it’s a problem, we acknowledge it and...we ask the public’s patience and cooperation so that together... the government, the private sector and the private citizens, vehicle owners are all part of the solution for this and it is not easy because you have to bring everybody together to address the problem,” he said.

“For example, the call for just simply obeying traffic rules – not parking on thoroughfares... I think, that’s part of the solution there and they want an answer to this, they are also part of the solution,” Abad said.

In the initial attempt to solve the traffic problem in EDSA, President Aquino tasked the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) of the Philippine National Police to take over traffic management from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

Not a sign of weakness

Last Tuesday’s heavy rains virtually paralyzed Metro Manila, as roads became impassable, leaving motorists and thousands of commuters stranded for hours.

Authorities were caught off guard by the sheer number of vehicles, particularly along EDSA, during the downpour.

The HPG had blamed the MMDA for its failure to assist in controlling the traffic nightmare.

The MMDA, however, insisted that its traffic enforcers were deployed on that day.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino clarified the agency is not at odds with the HPG.

Tolentino added the MMDA has implemented precautionary measures to ease the floods in the streets.

He said all the MMDA’s 25 flood pumping stations scattered across Metro Manila are operational.

The chaotic situation was repeated as heavy rains caused by a thunderstorm late yesterday afternoon flooded several streets in Metro Manila.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), as of 5:30 p.m. thunderstorms were affecting portions of Metro Manila, Rizal and Cavite.

He said thunderstorms were also experienced in some parts of Bulacan and Pampanga.

PAGASA weather forecaster Robert Badrina said the heavy rains were due to a series of thunderstorms.

The weather bureau could not provide the recorded rainfall over the capital as of press time but said the rains yesterday were less compared to last Tuesday.

Badrina said Metro Manila and nearby provinces will continue to experience thunderstorms until the weekend. – Aurea Calica, Mike Frialde, Helen Flores, Evelyn Macairan