Some residents of Barangay Landayan in San Pedro, Laguna have fallen ill as the area remained flooded for two weeks following the onslaught of tropical cyclones Kristine and Leon, according to Nico Waje’s report on “Saksi” on Monday.
Areas near the Laguna de Bay were still submerged in flood, including Barangay Landayan, where the floodwater had turned black and had begun to emit a foul smell due to the garbage and other dirt.
Among the flooded residents was Luz Mesina, whose bed mattresses were soaked with floodwater.
Her home had an improvised bridge inside so that her family would not be submerged in floodwater all day.
“‘Yan ang bahay namin. mabaho na nga e. Minsan nangangati na kami,” Mesina said.
(Our home has a foul smell. We also felt itching at times.)
She added that her family has been living in the area for many years and has no plans to relocate.
“Mahirap po kasing kumuha ng bahay ngayon. Napakamahal hindi natin ho kayang umupa ng mahal kasi isang plantsadora lang naman ako,” Mesina said.
(It’s difficult to get a house. It‘s so expensive so we cannot afford to pay higher rent since I just iron clothes for a living.)
The residents used styrofoam as a raft to navigate through the waist-deep flood. They said they opted to stay and not relocate since they were already used to it.
Resident Joan Barcelo said despite being used to the flood, her family still finds difficulty in the situation.
“Nagkakasakit na rin po yung mga bata dito dahil sa amoy. Pag umuulan po yung singaw. Sumasakit po yung tiyan nila,” Barcelo said.
(The children get stomach aches due to the foul smell when it rains.)
Another resident also said he has been down with fever for five days.
Meanwhile, Maricel Avila, said leaving the area to go to work has been a daily sacrifice for employees. The raft could take people only to a certain area, then one still has to get his feet wet on some portions of the road.
Due to prolonged exposure to the floodwater, the residents are also getting alipunga or athlete’s foot.
There are also at least 20 dengue cases in the barangay.
“Tabi kami ng lawa eh kaya hanggang ngayon mayroon pa kaming tubig na nararanasan sa tabing lawa. Ano kasi mababa itong lugar namin kaya di tumitigil ang tubig. Aabutin po ng December ang tubig namin,” said Landayan Barangay Chairman Gary Remoquillo.
(We are beside the lake so until now, we still have water from the lake. Our area is low so it will take until December before the floodwater subsides.)
According to the San Pedro local government unit, Laguna Lake is heavily silted and can no longer take in water.
The bottom of the lake has a lot of mud so it does not subside easily when it is flooded.
“Yung mga waterways natin siyempre continous yung ating mga declogging, ‘yung desilting pati ‘yung paglalagay natin ng mga slope protection and retaining walls flood control project para ‘yung tubig na inuulan sa atin na nanggagaling sa upper areas diretso ng Laguna De Bay,” said Vernet Nico Pavino, head of San Pedro City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
(The waterways need declogging and distilling as well as installation of slope protection and retaining walls for the flood control project so that rainfall from the upper areas will go straight to the Laguna de Bay.)
The San Pedro LGU is also coordinating with its counterparts in Biñan and Muntinlupa to solve the subsidence of floodwater, especially in lakeshore barangays.
Over 100 families are still in evacuation centers in the barangay. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/LDF, GMA Integrated News
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