What have we learned from the recent floodings?

[hedera]

1. To always have food, water, and toiletries stocks!
2. Not to take for granted mga sunny days to do laundry, or go to the bank, or go grocery shopping
3. Must have lifevest jacket and whistle as part of "emergency bag"
4. Grateful for condo living...not just flood free but also may generator

[akthung]

invest in a whistle na kahit nalubob sa tubig, gagana pa din at malakas (mataas ang decibel)

[hershey]

"Ang bagyo parang LOVE. Mahirap i-predict kahit may PAGASA."

Cute



1.laging maging handa - itabi ang mga gamit.itaas sa mga lugar n di pede abutin
2. Maging alerto
3.magevacuate

[queen_sickle]

pag may work, wag na tumuloy at sumugod sa baha at baka ma stuck ka lang sa work.

at wise nga mag store ng enough food if my bagyo parating

[akthung]

kailangan din may Bug Out Bag ang mga tao.
this bag should have the bare essentials to help you
survive for a few days or up to the time you can reach your
temporary/permanent shelter which has the supplies you need.

[nettai]

http://www.quezon.ph/2013/08/21/understanding-flooding-and-flood-mitigation/

^ This one. If I just knew about this we wouldn't have bought a house in our area. =____=

Nothing we can do anymore unless we force all people (including myself LOL) to vacate the flood-prone areas; this is because of an UTTERLY POOR URBAN PLANNING during the past and present governments. The only thing we can do in our part is by not blocking our esteros by not throwing our trash anywhere as we wanted (especially on our esteros); this can at least minimize flood impact.

When will our government realize that they need to do measures to stop overcrowding in the Metro, logging in the mountains (whether legal or not), and start forest rehabilitation and enforce proper garbage disposal (and start proper garbage management)?

Since I live in a low-lying area, only things that I can do is:
1. Invest in high-quality wood furniture, airbeds (for floatation) and/or plastic cabinets that can withstand floods.
2. Buy a power bank with a high battery rating and ALWAYS keep it charged for around 40%. When an announcement that a storm will be coming is flashed, immediately charge phones to full, and turn off mobile data and keep the signal reception to GSM only when power outage breaks out.
3. Stock on Doxycycline 100ml, and have a doctor's contact in handy in case I have no choice but to wade on flooded waters (especially with a wound)
4. Always keep a spare LPG tank and potable water source.
5. Never to buy vehicles with a low body. (and to always keep car jacks and tough blocks handy)
6. Always have a soy sauce and vinegar on the cupboard; if it's already the second day of power outage and I feel that the power outage will still last for some days more, I'm going to start cooking adobo and paksiw to preserve my fish and meat.
7. I agree with bro akthung, have an insect repellant in handy, as well as a full first aid kit and a whistle + flashlight + candles + matches/lighters.
8. At least keep tough garbage bags handy to be able to store garbage properly for days. Jeebus, when will people learn to throw their garbage properly anyway?



EDIT/OT: Buti pa si Manolo Quezon, hindi tumakbo sa politics but he is still into public service (as an USec and consultant) and remained as a writer.

My hats off to you, Mr. Quezon.

[akthung]

lubog na din kasi ang Manila. and the esteros, well, imho, if puno na ang laguna lake and all the rivers that lead to it, ma pupush out lang ang water out to the streets. sana tinuloy na lang nila yung plan ni Macoy noon ( waterway from Laguna lake to the sea. )

problem kasi sa culture and politics, basta pag new president / administration, yung previous admin ay mabaho na. lahat ng ginawa ng previous admin ay mali. pero kung nag bunga, present admin takes the credit.

when macoy left, dami binasura ni Cory na projects.

the best way talaga imho is to build a new city. kahit may city planning pa yung city, may hangganan lang din yun. unless sobrang laki ng spaces above and below, spaces that can accommodate change. yun nga lang maraming legal battles naman yan. sa justice system ng pinas it will take years and maybe decades....pag may bagong city, for sure mag decongest ang manila.

problem is, hindi papayag ang oligarchs. KASI yung ilan sa kanila, yung mga kinatatayuan ng mga "centers of business" ay dating mga hacienda nila. in other words lupa pa din nila.

personal opinion ko, Macoy wanted to follow the structure of modern and developed countries, na ang power nasa gov't and not the oligarchs. these oligarchs are the ones that probably put him down. aside from the abuse of power by his minions.

**

by the way,

there is this wonderful product called Lifestraw. super galing ng filtration properties niya. kahit tubig na brown, maiinom mo. this was originally designed for the people in africa. im not saying na you should drink from the flood water (although theoretically kaya). but if you have any other water source it will erase the fear or doubt of its potability. good to have eto for emergencies. i've tried this straw already and so did my uncle when i gave him one. it should cost 1500 pesos lang or lower. good to for 1000 liters.

they have a competitor naman named Ufilta. medyo mahal siya. but i like their water bottle model as it is very practical. nasa 3k+ pesos siya noon but they were put on sale at naging 1500 na. very good buy to. 

ako naman i've shipped a lot of lifestraws to pinas because i have prepper friends and mountaineering friends.

these filters are good ha. hollow membrane technology. its a step down from RO but way up than the normal filters.

here's a video of Ufilta. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BMkf2KVVdew

as for the lifestraw. sobrang daming videos sa  youtube.

**

as for whistles. buy those for emergencies because they can reach 120+/- decibels and some can actually work after being submerged in water.

[nettai]

^ This just proves that the floods in Metro Manila is rooted also in politics and oligarchy. >_>

I don't have any right however to judge or praise Macoy since I was born on the late 80s. However, multiple testimonies from older people show that during his time, our area wasn't flood-prone.

Sa US nga way back di ba, when they see a monopoly, the government immediately files a suit to disperse the business. This happened in the East Asia Companies.

The only thing that MMDA, DPWH and Metro Manila LGUs were able to do now is to speed up drainage in the Metro, but as quoted from MLQ3's article:

Governor Ejercito complained that the [Laguna de Bay] lake had become the “septic tank of Metro Manila” and said he and his people were looking for solutions for the overflowing of the lake...

I also cringed when Erap showed the plan to reclaim Manila Bay, and when I saw the plan to reclaim the Coastal Road even further. Good luck na lang sa Taft River, UST Lake, Las Pinas and Paranaque Seas, at Lawton Lake when the plan gets approved and is started.


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And as quoted from @HecklerForever:

Maring and Habagat put the AGOS in AGOSto.

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EDIT:

Re: Lifestraw: Nakita ko nga yan sa NGC... Didn't know it's already commercially available. Makabili nga nyan before I get back to Indo... I wonder kung authentic yung mga nakapost sa Sulit. :O

Thanks for the additional tips

[akthung]

check out the Ufilta Bottle. same kind of filter (hollow fibre) but with a bottle. so you can drink straight from the bottle. of course nothing beats stocking up on clean water. general rule for filters, the cleaner the source the better. but of course kung traveling ka, its good to have. a friend of mine traveled around europe and simply drank water from the tap using that filter.Conquer in Robinsons Pioneer sells them.

i think Macoy had a plan. he wanted to follow the template for first world countries na yung may mga industries na would be economically sound by being under the government, or at least by one provider. kaya pinagkukuha niya yung mga yun. the way i see it, personal opinion, kinalaban niya yung mga oligarchs noong araw. syempre, you become less credible when you become greedy and deluded. tapos hindi pa niya nacontrol ang mga tao niya. lalo na nung nagkasakit siya. for sure he made mistakes din.

nangyayari kasi sa sobrang gulo na ng politics, tapal system na lang. gawan ng paraan, aside from nakaw. dami sana nagawa kung hindi ninanakaw yung pera ng bayan.

[Leven]

I've seen 2-3 storey building or houses wrecked by typhoon yolanda...sabi ko sa hubby next time pag may advisory from pag asa na may typhoon kahit signal no. 3 pa yan..check in nalang kami sa hotel..hehe. life jacket, helmet ang dala namin..tapos tig isa kami ng sling bag na may laman na tubig,biscuits at saka ID...I even bought neon colors shirt for my kids..ito yung napag mitingan namin sa community namin and everyone agreed.

[crayzee]

one thing I learned in the most recent flooding, buy sedan car in the Philippines is a Big no no. if I have enough budget will definitely buy a bigger car.

here is a guide to see what car is best suitable for flood http://cheftonio.blogspot.com/2014/07/vehicle-ground-clearance-fording-wading-depth-comparison.html